320 THE farmers' handbook. 



Florence is a crossbred, produced as the result of an effort made to 

 obtain a smut-resisting variety. The cross was made in 1901, and introduced 

 into larger plots for trial in 1907. The pedigree is as follows : — 



White Naples x Improved Fife 



Unnamed x White Naples Improved Fife x Eden 



Unnamed x Unnamed 



Florence 



Florence is suitable for hay or grain, particularly in the north-western 

 districts. It is somewhat apt to shell, and being very early it should be 

 fed off if sown before mid-season. 



As a milling variety the grain is of satisfactory quality ; in fact, it is one 

 of the strongest in the " Medium Strong " class. 



Genoa. 



The young growth is spreading, the leaves dark green, glaucous, and rather 

 narrow. The straw is fairly tall, hollow, white, and medium stout, the plants 

 stooling rather freely, with fairly abundant, rather erect flag. The ears are 

 of medium size, yellowish-white, rather open, slightly tapering, smooth, 

 slightly awned at the tip, and rather erect, with regular, medium, widely- 

 spreading spikelets. The glumes are blunt-pointed, slightly incurved at the 

 tip, and fairly strongly attached. The grain is of medium size, regular, 

 yellowish-white, rather horny, with crease of medium depth. Its pedigree 

 is: — 



White Naples x Improved Fife 



Unuamed x White Naples Improved Fife x Eden 



Unnamed x Unnamed 



Genoa 



This variety is a sister to Florence, bui; ripens much later; it is a good 

 bunt-resister, and not.susceptible to rust, but a moderate yielder in most 

 districts. At Glen Innes, however, it thrives well; although its stooling 

 capacity is much less than that of Haynes' Blue-stem, its better grain- 

 holding qualities have brought it into favour for that district. 



Gresley. 

 From information supplied by Mr. Grasby, of the West Australian news- 

 paper, we are able to give the historv of this wheat. Gresley is the result of 

 a cross between Federation and Huguenot, made by the late Mr. Charles 

 Harper, of West Australia, in 1909. The seed was handed over to Mr. 

 Grasby who, about 1918, named the crossbred after a son of Mr. Harper, 

 who fell at Gallipoli. It was received by us in May, 1917, under the number 

 S3, and has thus been grown fur five years. We have three milling 

 analyses of this variety ; the flour strength is very uniform (about 45 each 

 season), though the percentage of gluten varies. The flour is satisfactory 

 from the miller's point of view, with a fairly good colour. In its early 

 growth, Gresley is a sparse stooler, erect, with light green leaves. Maturing 

 early, it comes into head at the same time as Canberra, but the straw is taller 



