1 Ava., 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 167 
ripening sort, will, I think, generally give excellent results to the wheat farmer. 
Tt may be added that we intend making large experiments. in wheat at the 
College, and hope to be able to give farmers the benefit of our experience. 
Mr. J. C. Brunnicu (Agricultural Chemist): With regard to Dr. 
Eriksson’s theory mentioned by Mr. Deacon, I may tell you that a mycoplasma 
is an exceedingly small cell, and itis not to be confused: with a bacillus. It is 
simply a thing without a shape. Dr. Eriksson’s theory—which, by the way, I 
had not before heard of until Mr. Deacon read his paper—is a very important 
departure from the host theory nientioned by Mr. McLean. Jn the theory of 
the host, it is said the rust breeds on some plant in the neighbourhood of the 
wheat, and it is disseminated and spread if conditions are favourable. In the 
new theory mentioned by Mr. Deacon, it is stated that the disease is inherent 
to the wheat, and that with seasons favourable to its develo ment the rust will 
be produced. I do not wish to express any opinion about this new theory, but 
it seems strange that if the disease is inherent we have patches here and there 
in a field which haye no rust, while the rest is badly affected, although the 
whole is under the same conditions. If the disease is in the seed, all the field 
should be the same. If rust is inherent in the seed, how is it that a healthy 
crop gives rust one year and the pinched seed does not give rust? Of course 
it may be attributed to climatic conditions, but it seems strange that certain 
varieties are freer than others. Do all varieties contain rust or not, or is it 
simply the more robust kinds that withstand the disease? We ought to be 
able, by continuous breeding from rust-free wheat, to produce a variety which 
would not give rust, andif the disease is only in the seed, we should be able to 
grow a wheat on which it would be impossible to show rust quite independent 
of variety. Professor Eriksson appears to have made experiments in growing 
wheat in closed glass cases, with sterilised soil, &c., and this undoubtedly shows 
that the host theory does not fit in with the experiments. The wheat develops 
the rust all the same without external influence, and altogether his experiments. 
are most interesting. 
Mr. J. Parke (Tinana) referred to his experiences of wheat culture in the: 
Wide Bay district. He had been able to get varieties, particularly the Early’ 
Tuscan, which did splendidly in the district, but the drawback hitherto had been 
want of machinery, and consequently wheat culture had so far made but little: 
rogress about Maryborough. He added that he had tried Purple Straw, but it 
been completely destroyed by rust. 
Mr. J. C. Kennepy (Allora): I believe in cultivation for wheat. Plough. 
8 or 9 inches during the summer, and before you sow the wheat, just scratch the: 
land oyer so as to allow of the seed being covered. With regard to rust, I may 
mention that I have obtained splendid crops from pinched seed, and as for early’ 
sowing, it should be remembered that there are two or three kinds of wheats.. 
There is a winter wheat and a spring wheat. Sow the winter varieties in April 
or May, but June is the proper month for the spring wheat. If you plant: 
spring wheat it grows right from the start, and some of the best crops I have 
ever obtained were sown ‘in July. From the day it was planted till it was. 
harvested it never got a check. Itis possible to sow spring wheat too early. 
It comes up, frost catches it, and it stands withered and yellow. When the 
spring comes, it gets second growth, and the result is patchy. The eating down 
of the young wheat by sheep is all right when you have them, but about my 
district the farmers have no shee p, and were they to put them on to the land, and 
showery weather to succeed, the black soil would be packed and baked. I do. 
not think feeding down by sheep is a success on the Downs. T have known 
farmers to borrow sheep and try it, but after the wheat getsa certain height, the 
sheep do not care about it, and only trample it down. With regard to wet 
weather, I have had a dry season just until the wheat was’ getting blue, 
and then the rust seemed to tackle it. You could see that the wheat 
was affected, but after 2 or 3 days there came a nice heavy rain, and 
seemed to wash all the rust off, the wheat ultimately giving a splendid crop.. 
As for the milling difficulty, the millers of course have to make flour out of the. 
