xiii WHEAT, MAIZE, COFFEE 123 



essentially suited to our requirements. Rietti does not 

 give a very high yield, nor do the reports from England 

 speak too highly of its milling qualities ; though locally 

 it is considered excellent. The way to fight and finally 

 defeat rust lies obviously in breeding a wheat which 

 will prove resistant in the local conditions, and it may 

 even prove necessary to breed a succession of varieties 

 so that a new variety will be ready to replace the last 

 should it succumb. On this work Mr. G. W. Evans 

 of the Agricultural Department has been busily 

 employed for two years ; and it will be borne in mind 

 that owing to the existence of the double season this 

 is equivalent to four years. It is reported that there is 

 already one rust-proof hybrid in existence, a matter of 

 congratulation both to Mr. Evans and the wheat- 

 growing settler. 



In a very minor degree insect pests have caused 

 trouble — two varieties in particular being responsible 

 for considerable damage. The first is a small variety 

 of beetle which attacks the young wheat and chews or 

 sucks the sap just below the ground level. The 

 beetle, lying concealed by day, emerges in countless 

 numbers by night and in one case destroyed 200 acres 

 in a few days. In this case they were tackled with 

 singular energy and skill by Mr. Anderson, chief 

 entomologist to the Agricultural Department, and 

 completely demolished. This end was accomplished 

 by the broad-casting of poisoned bait (Paris green, 

 bran, and sugar). It was estimated that over two 

 million beetles to the acre were destroyed. The 

 second pest was a species of green fly which attacked 

 the young plants. The damage, though serious, was 

 not so disastrous as in the case of the beetle. Un- 

 fortunately, no absolute means of annihilation has yet 



