AUSTRALIAN WHEAT VARIETIES. 11 
to square; beaks narrow, acute, 0.5 mm. long; apical awns usually wanting; kernels 
white, small to midsized, soft, ovate, broad; germ midsized: crease usually narrow, 
shallow; cheeks rounding; brush midlong. 
HARD FEDERATION. 
History. — In consequence of the variations of the ordinary type exhibited by the 
strain of Federation wheat now being grown at Cowra Experiment Farm, it has been 
deemed advisable to apply a distinct name to it, and "Hard Federation" has been 
selected as the most appropriate. . . . The departure from type was first noticed by 
Mr. J. T. Pridham, plant breeder, in 1907 or 1908, one of the plants selected from the 
stud plats being observed to thrash grain of remarkably hard and flinty appearance. 
The plant has the distinctive brown, hard, and general appearance of Federation in 
the field, but the grain was of a class that has never been seen in the variety before. 
(Agricultural Gazette, New South Wales, v. 25, p. 664. 1914.) 
The Hard Federation variety has been grown commercially in Aus- 
tralia since 1914. During the past few years it has replaced the 
Federation variety in many sections because of equal yields and 
better milling quality of the grain. 
Description. — Plant spring habit, early, short; straw white, strong; spike awnless, 
oblong, dense, erect; glumes glabrous, brown, short, wide; shoulders wide, square; 
beaks narrow, acute, 0.5 mm. long; apical awns wanting; kernels white, small, hard, 
ovate, with truncate tip; germ midsized, wide; crease midwide, middeep, frequently 
pitted; cheeks rounding; brush midlong. 
The variety differs principally from Federation in being slightly 
taller and earlier, in having a square and shorter spike, broader and 
squarer shoulders, and shorter, rounder, and harder kernels. The 
small hard or vitreous kernels are very attractive and doubtless 
would attract buyers and bring a premium over other white wheats 
on American markets, as is the case in Australia. Heads of Hard 
Federation, White Australian, and Early Baart wheats are shown in 
Plate II, figure 1, and kernels in Plate I, figure 2, and in Plate II. 
WHITE FEDERATION. 
History. — As far as the authors are aware the history of the White 
Federation variety has never been recorded in Australian literature. 
The following sentence, however, indicates its origin : 
The seed [hard kernels selected from Federation by Mr. J. T. Pridham, from which 
Hard Federation originated] was propagated, and in 1910 the occurrence of white 
heads was noticed, and from then until 1912 distinctly white heads were common 
among the brown. (Agricultural Gazette, New South Wales, v. 25, p. 664. 1914.) 
The name White Federation has been used for this wheat at the 
Cowra Experiment Farm since 1915, when a field of 3 acres of the 
variety was grown. (Agricultural Gazette, N. S. W., v. 27, pp. 231 
and 469. 1916.) 
Description. — Plant spring habit, early, short to midtall; straw white, strong; 
spike awnless, oblong, middense, erect; glumes glabrous, white, short, wide, thick; 
shoulders wide, square; beaks narrow, acute, 0.5 mm. long; apical awns wanting or 
nearly so; kernels white, small, hard to semihard, ovate, with truncate tip; germ 
midsized, wide; crease midwide, middeep; cheeks rounding; brush midlong. 
