^12 



In general wheat requires a comparatively dry climate or a 

 moderate rainfall, and rich well drained soil. At home it usually 

 follows clover or other leguminous crops. Seed may be sown at 

 the rate of 2-3 bushels (average about 62 lb. per bush.) per acre 

 — broadcast or drilled, or under '' dry farming " conditions 

 30-45 lb. of seed per acre drilled in is said to give larger returns 

 than when sown more thickly (MacDonald, seq.); and the crop 

 comes to maturity in about 5 montlis more or less according to 

 the chmate or season in which it may be sown. What is claimed 

 to be a record in modern Agriculture, so far as rainfall is con- 

 cerned, is that under the *' Dry Farming System," in the dry 

 lands of Lichtenburg in the Western Transvaal, the durum 

 wheat '' A])uha " — so called as being introduced from the ItaUan 

 Province of that name—has been groTVTi without a drop of rain 

 from seed -time until harvest (MacDonald, The Conquest of the 

 Desert, p. 102). The durum wheats are also known as " Flint," 

 " Hard " and " Macaroni," commonly grown in S. Russia, the 

 Mediterranean region andN, Africa — '* Bieloturka," '' Kubanka " 

 and " Arnautka, "grown in Russia have been recommended 



dry 



seem 



get similar strains or those wheats that have been grown in 

 chmates approximating to that of Northern Nigeria as in India 

 and the drier regions mentioned above. Wheat seed from England 

 grown in B.C. Africa (Nyasaland) proved a failure— 



may be mentioned, barley (Hordeum 



though at 



Oats {Avena sativa) from English seed did well — the wheat 



nun 



up grain stalks. Acchmatised seed, however, from Tanganyika 

 — originally imported many years before bj^ the Arabs — succeeded 

 better and yielded at the rate of 9 bushels per acre without 

 manure; seed was being distributed (1895) from the stock thus 

 raised, to European planters and Native Chiefs and it was hoped 



Missionaries 



growing 



(Kew Bull. 1895, p. 187). Wheats from England, including 

 " White Stand Up," " Red Stand up," " Little Joss," " Carters 

 White Fife " and " Dreadnought " were all repiorted as failures 

 at the Experimental farm, Kabete, Nairobi — 1912, sown in 

 November, An acre each of '' Early Rieti," '' Thew " and 



<( 



May 



September 1912 iia,u tue yieiu spoiiea in an cases oy myriaas 

 of birds ; the highest yield was 446 lb. per acre from " Thew " 

 which was said to be also practically undamaged by " rust " 

 which had been the cause of serious damage in different varieties 

 grown in 1911 at the same station (Ann. Rep. Dept. Agric. 

 B.E. Africa 1912-1913, Nairobi Exp. Farm, Kabete, p. 115). 

 The South Australian wheat " Glugas " or " Gluyas " above 

 referred to was said to be rust-resisting; but although not 



tirely immune 



damaged. An 



