CEREALS 31 



Mr. Pye was associated with Mr. Farrer since 1888, 

 when the work of this investigator first came under his 

 notice. They worked in co-operation, since that time 

 exchanging new varieties and ideas. At first Mr. Pye's 

 work was chiefly confined to perfecting Mr. Farrer's 

 wheats and selecting them to suit Victorian conditions. 

 Most of the Federation wheat now grown in Victoria 

 is from the original cross. It developed somewhat 

 differently from the same wheat grown in New South 

 Wales, and is a specially prolific strain. 



In his most recent report (vide Report of Principal, 

 Dookie Agricultural College for 1913-14) Mr. Pye 

 laments the fact that he had been handicapped in the early 

 days by not being able to avail himself of the services of 

 a testing mill, so that he was unable to breed for milling 

 excellence, and had to devote himself more particularly 

 to increasing prolificness in conjunction with other 

 qualities. Now that a small testing mill is in operation 

 he has the results of twenty years' work to test. 



How well he has succeeded in producing good yielding 

 wheats is shown in the following short notes on some of 

 his more successful creations. 



Improved Steinwedel was the first new wheat to be 

 distributed for general cultivation. It is a cross between 

 Steinwedel and Purple Straw, two weak-flour wheats 

 which were very popular all over Australia at that time. 

 The cross proved to be a drought-resistant, prolific, early 

 mid-season variety, and had the merit of holding its grain 

 well. The original Steinwedel, though one of the best 

 drought-resistant wheats we have, has the defect of shell- 

 ing badly. This is a very serious drawback in Australia, 

 where the almost universal use of the stripper requires 

 the wheat to be dead-ripe before harvesting. Improved 

 Steinwedel is still largely grown in Victoria. 



Warden was the second variety introduced by Mr. Pye. 

 Its pedigree is (Quartz x Ward's White) x Red Bor- 

 deaux. This variety was specially selected for its hay- 

 producing qualities, and is still the most popular hay 

 wheat in Victoria. It took the first prize at the last 

 Melbourne Agricultural Show for wheaten hay. 



