94 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Juny, 1901. — 
Mr. Joun Frenp (Laidley) : As many will remember, the late Dr. Bancroft 
took a great interest in the subject of wheatgrowing, and imported a great 
many varieties from India. J got eleven of these varieties from him. I way 
very careful in planting them, and found, as was natural, that some were a. 
great deal more suitable for the Lockyer district than others. Three or four 
of the kinds seemed to do particularly well, and amongst these were some 
bearded sorts. When I came to make hay of them and sent it to Brisbane it 
was condemned on account of the beards, these being considered objectionable _ 
in the hay, as they stuck in the palates of the horses, although I found on my ~ 
own place that it was quite practicable to use it. Later, when the Lockyey — 
Society was established, we imported a number of seeds for distribution 
amongst our members, and included in these were a number of wheats from 
Roseworthy, South Australia. Amongst the wheats that were experimented _ 
with in the Lockyer district was one known as Leak’s Rust Proof, and I am 
reminded of this by Mr. Deacon’s reference to the Blue Stem. I think both 
the Talavera and the Leak’s Rust Proof belong to the same family of wheats, as 
they both exhibit a blue stem. These wheats are slow growing, but they 
are very hardy and resist rust. Another variety that has proved suitable to the 
Lockyer district is the Belotourka. It will grow as high as your head, is very 
robust, and will make very good hay indeed if cut before its beard gets objection~ 
able. I can easily see that, in the increasing wheatgrowing district of the 
Maranoa, there is a great need for experiment plots to test certain varieties of 
wheat, and that this is a step that we, although living in other parts of the 
country, should by no means object to, but, on the contrary, encourage to the 
best of our ability. 
Mr. T. E. Counson (Rosewood) said he desired to thank Mr. Miscamble 
for the pleasure he had received in listening to his paper. 
Mr. W. Wirrams (Wallumbilla): In the Maranoa district there are a 
number of wheats that do wellon the Downs, but that do not do well there, and 
vice versd. For this reason we want the Department to establish some wheat — 
plots or an experiment farm or the testing of varieties. An individual cannot — 
carry out these experiments, and if the Government could accede to our wishes — 
in this matter it would be a great boon to wheatgrowers of the Maranoa. 
Mr. P. Bropies (Tiaro) : Some years ago there was a flourmill erected at 
Maryborough, and the farmers in the Wide Bay district were asked to grow 
wheat. I was an old wheatgrower, so, along with a number of others, accepted 
the invitation, and got a number of different varieties, including Talavera and 
Velvet Chaff. The best of them, however, was the Belatourka, but most of the 
other sorts were not of much use. The upshot was that the farmers gave the 
wheat up, although what did grow gave a return of from 40 to 60 bushels to 
the acre, and although the experiment had cost them a lot of money. I think it 
would be a splendid thing if the Government made arrangements with farmers 
in different parts of the country for the loan of a piece of land on which to 
experiment with seeds for the benefit of the district. Such a system would 
cost very little, and would be of great value to agriculturists. 
Mr. A. H. Benson (Agricultural Department): For years before I ever 
saw Australia I had a good deal to do with wheat. I experimented with wheat 
in California, and was growing it in the Lothians of Scotland and in many parts 
of Scotland. J take it the growing of wheats is not simply a question as to 
whether you can grow such-and-such a wheat in a particular district, but 
whether you can grow a wheat that will produce the most flour and the best 
flour—flour that will make the best loaf of bread. With regard to Mr. 
Miscamble’s paper relative to the desirability of growing in the Maranoa district 
varieties for the purpose of testing their suitability to that district, | may say 
that I am decidedly in favour of different types of wheat being tried throughout 
the country particularly with the view of learning their milling qualities. As 
Mr. Miscamble said, there is no question that many wheats which do well on the 
Downs do not thrive in the drier district of the Maranoa We, as a Department, 
are conducting experiments in the dry region of the State. Weare growing 
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