WHEAT BREEDING 147 



matter of routine. Meanwhile the small experi- 

 mental plots, originally sufficient for a purely 

 genetical investigation, have grown and grown 

 until a special farm is required to accommodate 

 them, whilst plant for cleaning and milling the 

 grain and finally converting it into bread has had 

 to be installed. Growth too has taken place in 

 other directions, for former students are applying 

 the knowledge they have gained in the Institute 

 to the solution of problems, somewhat similar to 

 our own, in the colonies and in other wheat- 

 producing countries of the world, using for this 

 purpose wheats which have been raised here in the 

 course of our experiments. 



Wheat breeding it is true is no new subject, for 

 even at the commencement of these investigations 

 work was in progress in Canada and especially in 

 Australia. In the latter country it was in the hands 

 of a former student of this University, the late 

 Mr William Farrer of New South Wales. His 

 work has left an indelible impress on that country, 

 for not only has it provided it with wheats of 

 superb quality but also with varieties which can 

 be grown commercially in districts where wheat 

 growing, for various reasons, was previously im- 

 possible. Farrer's success, however, and this i? 

 written in no spirit of depreciation, was due to 

 his endless patience and that happy gift s^ne 

 breeders have acquired of recognising the merits 

 of one individual plant amongst thousands and 



10 2 



