166 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Avea., 1899. 
better able to resist rust than others, and cases have occurred in which varieties 
known to be rust-resisting have been imported by the Department, submitted 
first to millers for their opinion, and then, a favourable report having been 
received, the seed was extensively distributed to farmers. When they tried to 
sell their resultant crop of wheat, however, the millers refused to purchase, 
alleging that the wheat was a bad milling variety. When we imported the 
Belatourka I sent 28 Ib. of it to Mr. Bellingham, of Greenmount, asked him 
to sow an acre and let me know the result. He sowed an acre and reaped 
from it 46 bushels, a sample of which 1 submitted to a miller whose 
letter I still have, stating he would take any quantity at the then top 
market price. This report was circulated and farmers advised to try the 
wheat, but’ when they came to sell their Belatourka, the millers refused t0 
take it except at ‘a greatly reduced price. Of course millers have a reason for 
declining to purchase certain varieties. These are deficient in gluten, and flour 
deficient in gluten will not make good bread. With many of the hard varieties 
the objection, however, is not the want of gluten, but the fact that the miller has 
not the proper machinery for grinding them. I am glad to say, however, that 
those days are now passing. Our millers are progressing, like other people, and 
are purchasing machinery able to cope with the hardest of wheats, and to tum 
out flour good enough to compete with any in the world. I hope, however, that 
farmers will not run away with the idea that the days of rust are past. ‘The 
rust host is round all our fields, the rust is there all the time, and it only requires 
favourable conditions for development. If we have a cold dry October, we are 
are all right, but give us hot, close, muggy nights, and our wheat will be liable 
to rust. The wheat plant is like a human being. We all know there are some 
people who are able to resist certain forms of disease better than others, and 
in the same manner there are certain varieties of wheat that are constitutionally 
able to resist the rust disease. We are now breeding these wheats in Queens 
land, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia, and I think we want 10 
be continually breeding them. Wheat is subject to deterioration, and by 
continual cultivation its constitution is weakened, so that we ought to produce 
a succession of new strong, healthy varieties able to resist any attack that may 
come along. 
Mr. W. D. Lams (Yangan): The Belatourka is now better than eyer it 
was, and millers take it readily. 
Mr. K. W. Scuonz (Stanthorpe) mentioned a number of very interesting 
facts in connection with rust in wheat, and amongst other things stated that he 
believed the rust bred among the grass. 
Mr. Joun Manon (Agricultural College): Mr. Deacon mentions Ward's 
Prolific, Medeah, and Blount’s Lambrigg as really good rust-resisting wheats, 
but I may say all these were seriously affected at the Agricultural College, 
Gatton, last season by rust. In fact, we had 88 stud wheats at the College, 
and they were all damaged by rust with but one exception, and that 
was a variety known as Crown. I have not had much practical experienc 
with wheat myself in Queensland, but previously to coming to this colony I had 
been engaged in wheatgrowing on my father’s farm in Victoria ever since my 
boyhood. The best wheat we used to have then was the White Purple Straw, 
and when I was in Melbourne a few weeks ago I made some inquiries about it. 
Old farmers told me that this particular variety is still a good rust-resistant 
kind, and that they are very partial to it. It is a quick grower, a good yielder, 
ripens quickly, and its straw is quite free from flag. In addition to being rust 
resistant, it also shows a non-liability to blight or smut. I have had two bags 
of this White pute Straw sent from Melbourne to the College, and I intend 
experimenting with it myself. As for rye and barley being affected by rust, I 
may say this is contrary to my experience. At Dookie College they have 
600 varieties of wheat growing, not one of which is rust proof, and, for myself, 
I do not think we are ever likely to get such a wheat. I agree with Mr. 
Hudson in what he says about the advantages of early sowing and haying the 
wheat eaten down by stock. These two practices, added to growing a quickly-~ 
