CEREALS 25 



material. These new wheats are presumably the result 

 of natural cross-fertilization, a phenomenon which Mr. 

 Pridham thinks occurs more frequently than is generally 

 supposed. 



With regard to drought resistant wheats, several of the 

 new varieties are extremely promising. It cannot, how- 

 ever, be said of any of them that they are of such general 

 value as Federation. Among these Mr. Pridham regards 

 Sunset as the most promising. It is not, strictly speak- 

 ing, a new wheat, as it is one of Mr. Farrer's original 

 crosses, and had been rejected on account of its low 

 flour strength. It is, however, likely to prove a very 

 valuable variety, as it matures very quickly and possesses 

 other characteristics which render it admirably suited to 

 dry country conditions. It is being distributed this 

 season. It is a cross between a sport from Blount's 

 Lambrigg and a cross between White Fife and Summer 

 Club. It is one of the earliest ripening kinds and 

 amongst the most prolific in dry districts. 



Other new wheats which are being distributed this 

 season are : 



Bomen, one of whose parents is Red Potocka, and the 

 other a cross-bred wheat containing Fife and Indian 

 blood. It was first made in 1901 and proved bunt resistant. 

 It ripens a little later than Federation, is a rather weak 

 flour, prolific variety with good straw. 



Canberra, a cross between Federation and Volga 

 barley (a two-row sort contained as an impurity in a 

 sample of wheat received from Russia). Canberra is an 

 early ripening prolific wheat, its defects being that it is 

 rather weak in the straw and has a slight tendency to 

 shell. It yields a high percentage of flour of first-rate 

 colour and good strength. 



Nardoo is another promising cross containing Fife and 

 White Naples amongst its parentage. It is a smut 

 resistant variety and a particularly promising hay wheat, 

 though good for grain also, yielding a flour of medium 

 strength. 



At the other farms the wheats produced at Cowra are 

 tested for their suitability for different districts and 

 grown in the variety trial plots. The ones that prove 



