48 J. H. MAIDEN. 
be thought of to improve the methods of work and the information 
conveyed to students. The opportunity is there; it rests with the 
young men themselves whether the country isto benefit or otherwise. 
A new departure has been recently made; the senior student of 
1896 has been selected to undertake a course of study at one of 
the leading American colleges ; on his return the information 
gained will be made use of in a practical way. Such travelling 
scholarships are highly to be commended, and, provided the scholar 
is capable and receptive, he should be able to impart much that 
is valuable on his return. 
I had the pleasure, a few months ago, of carefully examining 
the work at the Murrumbidgee Experiment Farm at Bomen near 
Wagga Wagga, an institution second only in importance to the 
Hawkesbury Agricultural College. It is not necessary for me to 
enter into detail in regard to the farm, as such particulars will be 
found in the Agricultural Gazette, but I think it is only right that, 
addressing as I am a body of scientific men, I should draw your 
attention to the highly scientific work in regard to the selection 
of wheats proceeding at Bomen. This work is carried on jointly 
by Dr. Cobb, the Vegetable Pathologist to the Department, and 
Mr. George Valder, the manager of the farm. Much pioneer 
work in this direction has been already done. Hundreds of kinds. 
of wheats have been planted under varying methods of cultivation, 
have been harvested, and the grain subjected to milling and other 
tests, and while still in the ear observations have been systemati- 
cally carried on in regard to the period of ripening, tendency to — 
shell etc. In fine, the question of wheat cultivation and examin- 
ation of the grain has been attacked in hil a. ment 
Farmers have been shown that the heavier 
followed by the heavier crop, even when Other conditions are 
identical. The claims of various kinds of wheats to certain 
reputed characteristics have been investigated, and the wheats 
are classified in regard to yield per acre, weight per bushel, earli- 
ness or the reverse, capability of resisting rust, and so on. This 
farm is distributing “stud wheats” in limited quantities to farmers 
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