m 



INJURIOUS INSECTS AND FUNGI. [Dec, 1894* 



But its indirect influence upon the grain, to whose production 

 the whole energy of the plant is directed, is very injurious, as 

 has been shown above. 



In view of the severe attacks of rust in Australia, and the 

 consequent material losses to farmers, the Departments of Agri- 

 culture of New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, and 

 Queensland have done all in their power since 1890 to obtain 

 and spread information upon the subject. Conferences have 

 been held alternately in the capitals of these Colonies for the 

 discussion of suggestions as to experiments, and for the conside- 

 ration of reports upon the results of the various experiments 

 undertaken. 



An account of the proceedings of the first three Conferences 

 was given in the report issued by the Board in 1893. The 

 fourth Conference was held at Brisbane in March 1894, when a 

 final report on the work of the Conferences was presented. In 

 giving an epitome of this report it will be useful to recapitulate 

 the main heads of inquiry included in the comprehensive scheme 

 of experiments, scientific and practical, carried out in Australia. 



The chief subjects covered by this experimental work have 

 been the following : — 1, the relation of applied manures to the 

 rust contagion ; 2, efiect of fungicides in spraying ; 3, efiect of 

 cultivation ; 4, the character of flag or straw of wheats as in- 

 fluencing the spread of the disease ; 5, the extent to which rust 

 spores adhere to seed wheat ; 6, microscopical, chemical, milling, 

 and baking tests of wheats, made with the purpose of deter- 

 mining the relation of rust resistance to known qualities ; 

 7, influence of insects as carriers of rust spores ; 8, determina- 

 tion of the particular kind of Puccinia afiecting crops in diflferent 

 districts ; 9, efiect (upon rust) of difierent times and modes of 

 sowing wheat; 10, the creation of rust-resistant sorts by cross 

 fertilisation and selection ; 11, the relative value of different 

 varieties of wheat. 



With regard to the first of these points of investigation, viz., 

 " the efiect of fungicides in spraying," the difficulty of application 

 has proved a serious drawback, and spraying is not included 

 in the " Recommendations for the Immediate Attention of 

 Farmers " issued by the Conference ; not, it is presumed, because 

 the fungicides are inoperative, but owing to the great difficulty 

 in applying them to wheat crops. 



The main recommendations of the Conference are to the effect 

 that, whatever other measures may be adopted by farmers with 

 the effect of preventing the appearance of rust or of arresting its 

 further spread, the following practices cannot well safely be 

 ignored, viz. : — ■ 



1. Early sowing and the cultivation of early ripening sorts. 



2. Harvesting rust-infected crops in the early or " dough 



stage." 



3. The growth of sorts which local experiences have shown to 



be rust-resisting or rust-escaping. 



