i8o 



apparently wants to draw the conclusion, taking into account 

 the fact that higher prices for Indian wheats have prevailed 

 at Indian ports during the later part of the season, that if the 

 exports were distributed more evenly throughout the entire 

 cereal year relatively higher average prices would be obtained 

 for Indian wheat. 



There is a substratum of truth in the idea, but it must not 

 be forgotten that the value of wheat exported from India 

 depends on the world's market, and not only on Indian prices, 

 and it does not follow if the shipments were more evenly 

 distributed throughout the year that the extra price obtained 

 would correspond to the increased price which has been obtain- 

 able in the later part of the year for Indian whea.t at Indian 

 ports, nor must it be forgotten that the earlier shipments of 

 Indian wheat are substantially superior in quality to the later 

 shipments of the same crop. 



Furthermore, it must not be assumed that the shipment of 

 Indian wheat in bulk is desirable, or that it would be acceptable 

 to British millers. The proof of the point is very meagre, but 

 it seems that wheat which is susceptible to damage by weevil 

 should be shipped in bags and not in bulk, and that the small 

 saving in transit due to handling in bulk may not compensate 

 for the risk of damage. 



The CHAIRMAN : I will ask Sir James Wilson to say a few 

 words in winding up the discussion. 



Sir JAMES WILSON : Gentlemen I very much regret that 

 Mr. Noel-Paton has been unable, owing to illness, to read 

 his valuable paper himself, but I may say that I am in 

 general agreement with his conclusions. I should have liked, 

 if there had been time, to have gone into some of the questions 

 which he has raised, especially concerning wheat, because I 

 have myself been studying that subject. I will, however, say 

 only a word or two about the work which Mr. Humphries has 

 done for India. He has helped us enormously in India by 

 carefully analysing, testing and reporting upon the different 

 varieties of wheat in that great country; and it is very interest- 

 ing to hear the good account he gives of the new varieties of 

 wheat which our experts there, especially Mr. Howard, have 

 been so successful in raising We hope that in a short time we 

 shall be able greatly to increase the quantity of wheat pro- 

 duced, and improve the quality over a considerable part of that 

 area. 



Mr. Thorpe referred to the question of barley, and I ought 

 to explain that in reading the paper, owing to the need for 

 brevity, I omitted that part which deals with barley. I think 

 that on reading the paper when it is printed he will find there 

 is considerable information on that subject which will be useful 



