250 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JouRNAL. [1 Apri, 1902. 
Probably two-thirds of the entire wheat crop of California is gathered 
with the combined harvester-thresher. The great level fields of the central 
valley favour the use of the most ponderous machinery. The machine sweeps 
through miles of grain, cutting swaths from 16 to 42 feet in width, and leaving 
behind a long trail of sacked wheat ready to be hauled to the warehouse, rail- 
road, or mill. This combined harvester and thresher is usually drawn by 
twenty-four to forty horses, and sacks from 25 to 45 acres of wheat per day, 
with four men to operate it; and larger machines will do even more. By its 
“use the grain is threshed directly from the field and left piled in sacks con- 
‘taining about 24 bushels each. They are left in the field sometimes for weeks 
without fear of material damage from the weather. 
The varieties of wheat sown in the Pacific section are also different to 
those in the east, their peculiar characteristic being a white grain, with a soft 
and starchy content; and it is said that other wheats imported for seed lose 
their individuality in a season or two. The principal factor in this change is 
thought to be the lack of humus in the soil. A large proportion of the more 
common varieties of the region are the Club Wheat type, so called on 
account of the peculiar club-like formation of the head. This formation 
is of considerable advantage there, on account of its ability to hold the grain 
—a very desirable point in this region of very long summers, where the grain, 
after becoming fully ripe, is frequently left standing for a month or so before 
being harvested. 
WHEAT. 
The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency, Company, Limited, 
Melbourne, under date, 6th February, make the following interesting report on 
the wheat market :— 
Cabled information from Europe contains little of interest to growers here. 
The market is steady, 29s. 9d. to 30s. being the average quotations for forward 
shipments of Australian wheat. The market in America is now said to rule the 
entire world, and on Chicago movements our prices of wheat will be partly depen- 
dent. We say partly advisedly, as recent advances show that the local market is 
being ruled just as much by local surroundings as by foreign movements in values. 
The American yield was an enormous one, but it has had to meet much increased 
demands, not only for export, but for home consumption, as the maize and 
potato crops were materially less. The Argentine crop is only turning out 
17,000,000 bushels for export, against about 22,000,000 bushels in the season 
just closed. The Indian crop is not reported on very favourably. The area is 
much below the average, and, owing to unfavourable weather, it is just 
possible that the eastern country, usually one of the largest producers in the 
world, will be an importer, and not an exporter. We still fail to see any si 
of a fall in the home markets, and must continue to support the belief that the 
position will remain a steady one, with a tendency towards higher levels. 
The freight market is unsettled ; 23s. 3d. to 28s. 6d. is about the range of 
existing freights for full sailer cargoes, but there is no dite ion to purchase. 
The amount of chartering done is astonishing. No less than 55,000 tons of 
wheat and flour have been shipped since the opening of the year, and there are 
vessels in port engaged to load or loading with space for about another 32,000 
tons, or a total of 87,000 tons, exclusive of the vessels chartered to arrive. 
This total represents over 3,000,000 bushels of our exportable surplus, estimated 
at the most at 5,000,000 bushels to be shipped within ten weeks of the opening 
of the year. Such a record has not been attained even in our most prolific 
seasons. Shippers’ engagements have been taken to a dangerous point, and 
this opinion is supported by the extremely sensitive state of the market. We 
would not be surprised to see wheat imported from Sydney and Adelaide to 
complete local engagements. 
waits 
