316 the farmers' handbook. 



Cleveland is a late variety, and for this reason is more particularly suitable 

 for planting early rather than late in the season. It is a good general-purpose 

 variety, being equally suited for hay as for grain. It prefers a cool climate. 

 At Bathurst Experiment Farm it has proved the best variety yet grown. 



It is rather a good rust-resister, and is not very susceptible to bunt. 



As a milling variety it is in the " Medium Strong" class. 



Federation. 



Federation is a short, strong, erect-growing variety, which stools well. 

 The foliage of the young plant is of good colour, with broad, stiff leaves, 

 while the straw of the ripe plant is yellowish-white, stout and short. The 

 ears are bald, of medium to large size, full tipped, uniform and compact, with 

 the spikelets set rather closely. The chaff is brownish coloured, smooth and 

 fairly close. The grain is of medium size, white, soft and plump. 



Federation is the result of a cross between a strain of Purple Straw and 

 Yandilla. The latter was produced by crossing Improved Fife with an Indian 

 variety called Etawah. Its pedigree is : — 



Improved Fife x Etawah 

 v , ' 



Purple Straw x Yandilla 



Federation 



This variety is the most popular farmers' variety in New South Wales at 

 the present time. It has reached this position because of its remarkable 

 ability to yield well and consistently throughout the whole of the wheat areas 

 not only of New South Wales, but also of Victoria and South Australia. In 

 some districts it is estimated that it yields at least a bag more per acre than any 

 of che old varieties. 



The production of Federation was the result of a deliberate attempt on the 

 part of Mr Farrer to produce a variety with short straw, specially suitable 

 for the Australian methods of harvesting with the stripper. The remarkable 

 popularity of this variety, as the result of its behaviour in the field, affords 

 abundant evidence that he was singularly successful. 



On account of its short straw and erect growth, it is not an attractive 

 variety in the field, and does not appeal to the farmer who has been accus- 

 tomed to the luxuriant growth and pleasing appearance of Purple Straw 

 and similar varieties. If judged by appearances, Federation would never 

 have become popular. Fortunately for it, and for the farmers of the State, 

 it is the number of bags per acre which turns the scale when the merits 

 of any particular wheat are in the balance. As Federation, despite its 

 unattractive appearance, is able to produce the necessary bags, it has become, 

 and remains, the most popular variety of the present time. 



It produces the maximum amount of grain for the minimum amount of 

 straw. Tts upright head enables the operation of stripping- to be done easily. 

 It holds its »rain tightly enough to prevent shattering, yet strips without 

 difficulty. It is not easilv damaged by storms, and because of this some 

 farmers have called it " storm proof." The shortness of the glumes, or chaff, 

 and the erect carriage of the head allow the rain to enter the ear, .so that 

 the grain becomes bleached as the result of showers more readily than most 

 varieties, which makes it less acceptable in the North-west. 



As a milling wheat, it is in the " Medium Strong " class, and it is an 

 improvement upon varieties of the old Purple Straw type. 



