1 Ave., 1899. ] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 165 
have been arrived at by the most laborious crossing of different species of grains. The 
«discoveries are known to the British Government, but nothing has been done to assist 
the experimenters in the work they have yoluntaril y undertaken. The United States 
Government, however, saw great possibilities in the work that is being accomplished, 
sand sent an expert to examine an report on the discoveries. So struck was he with 
what he saw, that he at once made an offer for the whole of the stocks of new cereals 
in hand, and also an offer that would secure the further results of experiments for the 
benefit of the farmers of the United States. The offers, however, were declined, as 
the Messrs. Garton were anxious to give the British farmer a chance to participate in 
the benetit of their discoveries. 
Mr. R. J. Buaxe (Blenheim): I am not altogether what is known as a 
‘wheat-grower, hut still I have had plenty of experience in this cereal, and have 
been growing it for 29 years in Queensland. I cannot altogether agree with 
Mr. Deacon in what he says about the use of old wheat for seed purposes being 
-a good preventive of rust. I have sown seed wheat that I have had on my 
hands for over 4: years, and in some cases the rust attacked the resulting crop 
more than that grown from new seed. The tillage and the season I think, affect 
‘the wheat from a rust point of view more than anything else, and shallow 
ploughing and a fair season is the best preventive of rust that I know of. With 
-a dropping season, there is to my mind a greater risk of rust than would other- 
wise be the case. I have had wheat that did not get a drop of rain after it got 
-well out of the ground, and yet when it was harvested, a beautiful crop was the 
result. Some years ago, the Lockyer Agricultural and Industrial Society got a 
number of wheats from Victoria, and the seed of one of them, and very inferior 
looking seed it was, was given tome. I have grown that wheat (Leak’s- Rust 
Proof) now for 3 years, and have never seen the sign of rust on it. I sell my 
-erop to my neighbours on Laidley Creek, where, on the heavy flat lands, it grows 
strong and robust, and makes an excellent hay wheat. I do not think it is a 
good milling wheat, although as a matter of fact I have never had it tested. 
Mr. J. Hupson (Rosewood) : You all know that in the old country wheat 
is sown in the fall of the year. It comes up, but little growth is made until 
the spring. During the winter it is rooting, and when the spring comes it has 
a good hold of the soil. In Queensland, on the other hand, wheat Srows very 
rapidly—too quickly in fact, and the result is there is so much flag in the 
‘beginning as to endanger the plant. The young plant is conse uently not 
‘strong enough to withstand the disease, and I therefore believe in aving the 
young wheat eaten down by sheep. I have found this an excellent practice, as 
the plant gets thrown back until its roots become strong and old. 
Mr. W. D. Lame: (Yangan): I must differ from the theory propounded 
in Mr. Deacon’s paper, and for myself, I believe we are only just beginning to 
‘learn about wheat, and that we have hitherto been working on the wrong lines. 
The difficulty with us is to keep the wheat from getting too much straw, and 
we are now finding that itis best to plough the land very lightly and drill the 
‘seed in. As for rust, I think its day is nearly past. We have not been troubled 
much with rust since we got all those new varieties of wheat which are so much 
tust-resistant, and a good deal is due to the Department of Agriculture for 
introducing these varieties. We have been growing too many soft wheats on the 
Downs hitherto, but as the millers are now asking for hard kinds, we must grow 
what they demand. However, I do not think wheatgrowing in Queensland 
will be placed upon a really satisfactory basis until we begin to export, and 
thereby assist in removing prejudices. I am glad to say that the next wheat 
crop promises to be a record one, provided we can keep it from growing too 
strongly. We have it eaten down by sheep to keep it back, and provided we get 
rain, I think we shall be all right. ‘We are now getting over all the cultivation 
‘difficulties on the Downs, and the settlement that is now going on all over that 
district should convince us all that the industry is going to be a great one. 
Mr. P. McLan (Under Secretary for Agriculture): Probably the most 
important difficulty at present with wheat-growers is, not the danger from rust, 
‘but the danger from the millers. There are certain varieties of wheat which are 
