CEREALS 7 



ago as " practically a one crop country." Now, owing 

 to the success of scientific work, wheat growing has 

 advanced in Rhodesia from the category of possibilities 

 to that of probabilities. 



BRITISH EAST AFRICA. 



A good deal of experimental work has been done with 

 wheat. In one year 200 different varieties were tested 

 at one experimental station, the Kabete Government 

 Farm. Experiments have also been made at other 

 centres, and in this way information has been gained as 

 to the districts which are suitable for wheat growing, 

 and as to the varieties which do well/ in them. For 

 instance, the loose friable soils of the highlands appear 

 to be more adapted to the raising of barley than of wheat. 

 Where the latter has often failed to produce a yield 

 through the ravages of rust, barley has given good 

 returns. 



Even in those districts where wheat is likely to be 

 grown most of the varieties tried have been found to be 

 useless, or relatively unfit, killed or damaged by rust. 

 But there are notable exceptions. For instance, Rieti, 

 grown on a fairly large scale, has for several successive 

 seasons proved itself to be a fair yielder and only 

 moderately susceptible to rust. Its disadvantages are 

 that its straw is weak and does not stand up well, its ears 

 are bearded and very lax, and the flour it yields is not 

 highly esteemed. Bo'bs yields more grain per acre, and 

 it is af superior quality; Gluyas, when first introduced, 

 also did well, but both these Australian varieties have 

 since become most susceptible to the attacks of rust, and 

 cannot now be relied upon. Federation Thew and an 

 Egyptian wheat also appear in the category of apparently 

 satisfactory varieties, but Durums were very susceptible 

 to rust, and some Indian and North Russian wheats tried 

 failed to give satisfaction. 



In view of such results hybridizing and Mendeliati 

 selection were adopted, and the results so far recorded 

 are most interesting and satisfactory. 



At the outset of such work it was thought that only 



