164, . QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Avea., 1899. 
or not it was in ear, and we cannot decide whether he refers to the harmless spring” 
rust or the deadly summer rust. I stumbled on this old seed preventative theory 
16 years ago by accident. I putin a plot of 20 acres with wheat—less half-an- 
acre for the time being under another crop. In a month the half-acre was cleared, 
and there being no other seed it was sown with chickwheat, at least 2 years old,. 
found in some corner of the barn. At harvest, on the 191 acres, the crop was nearly 
destroyed by summer rust, and the yield was small; on the other hand, the half-acre 
crop was completely free from the pest. It matured very quickly and was cut a few 
days after the other. For a long time this result was to me perfectly inexplicable, but 
at length I came to the conclusion that the plot was rust-free because I had used old 
seed. The succeeding seed-time the only bag of old seed I could obtain was 
a bag of New Zealand wheat, but it proved to be a very bad season an 
I had no crop. But 2 years after that, I had sufficient old seed of my own 
which I had saved for the purpose to sow 20 acres. It proved to be an exceedingly 
rusty year, the worst in my experience, and the experiment failed, but 1b just 
failed. Until it actually collapsed I was certain that it would be a success. 
The wheat was one which we no longer grow, for we cannot—namely, White Lam- 
mas. Had it been one of the many sorts which we now grow, I feel sure it woul 
have been a success, for it had all the characteristics of a rust-free crop. I had mixed 
lime with this seed in bags to keep the weevil away, whether the lime not only pro- 
tected the seed, but the-rust germ as well, I cannot say, but in keeping seed over for 
the next season I have never since then mixed lime with it. I then for several years 
kept some seed over for the next year, but until 2 years ago, the rust has not been 
of much consequence in our district, or with me, at any rate. Consequently, I have 
never had a Aran to fully test the theory. But old seed has always produced 
crops having all the characteristics of rust-free wheat—-namely, the crop stooled spar- 
ingly, the leaves were erect and narrow, and the straw tough and wiry, and the interval 
between blooming and ripening was in my opinion shortened. In my opinion also, the 
ain from crops produced by 2-year-old seed on being sown also produced an 
improved plant, and the improvement is not lost for several generations. ‘Two years 
ago, when the summer rust was prevalent to a considerable extent, and I had 40 
acres out of an area of 150 acres very much damaged by it, I had not sown any 
old seed, but from that harvest I saved a few bags and have sown this year. I have 
also put in 7 plots, with different sorts of wheat, all 2-year-old seed. Now 
beyond the gain or otherwise from experiment, is the theory reasonable? My paper 
is already too long, and I cannot dwell upon this point, but just let me draw attention 
to this fact within the knowledge of wheat-growers: After a total failure of the wheat 
crop, and consequently when no new seed is or can be saved, the farmer often falls back 
upon some seed which he has saved in anticipation of the failure, or by accident, and 
sometimes procures old seed. From observation I am sure the quantity of old seed 
sown is very large. For many seasons then we generally have no rust. Am 
unreasonable in submitting that this circumstance affords presumptive evidence in 
support of my theory? In conclusion, I think this Conference will agree with me 
that I have said sufficient to induce the Agricultural Department wheat experts and 
ractical farmers to test the theory, especially as the experiments required will be 
inexpensive. 
DISCUSSION. 
Mr. BE. Dexman (Mackay): Sir J. B. Lawes, some 2 years ago, said 
wheat and barley had been greatly benefited by the application of extra nitrogen 
ina form of sulphate of ammonia or nitrate of soda. I have a cutting here from. 
an English paper, and, as it may be of interest, I shall read it. It is as: 
follows :— 
CEREAL BREEDING. 
To improve the yielding capabilities of cereals has been the object of many culti-- 
yators, but if all that is said about Messrs. John and Robert Garton, two Lancashire - 
experimenters, be true, they have succeeded not only in increasing enormously the 
flour-giving and straw-bearing properties of oats and wheat, but they have produced 
new varicties of cereals by means of cross-fertilisation. The experiments were begun 
about 18 years ago, and the first idea was to improve the grain by selecting the 
best ear in a field and the best grain in that ear, the produce of the grain thus selected. 
being kept for seed, subject, of course, to selection and improvement every year. 
hey haye succeeded, according to some Press reports, in producing varieties the: 
average weight of which is 60 per cent. heavier than the pyeuee weight of grains in 
ordinary cultivation. The breeding of new kinds of cereals and the fixing of the types: 
