Ferdinand von Mueller

1

Letter not found. The report given here is from 'Progress report of the committee appointed to inquire into the causes of rust and blight in cereals', in Sixth Annual Report presented by the Council to the Board of Agriculture, p. 16 (B65.14.02). The report was presented to the Council of the Board of Agriculture at its meeting on 15 February 1865 (see Age, 16 February 1865, p. 6). It was widely reprinted; see list under B65.14.01.

Gentlemen,

In offering to the Council of the Board of Agriculture, in a very succint

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succinct?

form, some notes on our inquiries into the causes of rust and the means of its prevention, we beg to confine ourselves at this instance to a few practical suggestions, which, though generally only confirming previous observations, may at the ensuing season be of avail to some of the farmers of this colony. When our investigations will have been closed, we shall have the honor of submitting a main report, with a view of treating the subject before us in its other bearings, at which occasion the course of our proceedings will be indicated. It is strongly recommendable that the sowing of wheat should be effected at the most early period of the season; if possible, not later than the beginning of May, late sown crops having, in the affected districts of our colony, mainly suffered from rust.

2.

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There is no number 1 in the text; in some reprints, the number 1 has been inserted before 'It is strongly recommendable…'

It is advisable that the greatest care should be evinced in the selection of the variety of seed grain, and it is worthy of remark, that as far as we have learned, such varieties as the white Tuscan, the red straw white wheat, and red spring wheat, have better withstood the attacks of rust than the golden drop, the white prolific, the white velvet, club-eared, and Winslow wheat.

3. There is ample testimony of the correctness of Sir Joseph Banks's view, that seeds of wheat crops which were affected with rust serve generally well the purpose of seed grain, unless they are quite destroyed; and it has even been found that in many instances plants from such seeds produced here a richer and healthier crop than those raised from imported seed of sound plants. Nevertheless, we would suggest to use such seeds only in cases of emergency, in order that varieties particularly subject to rust may not become propagated.

4. By analyses, conducted by Mr. William Johnson, it has been ascertained that all the soils submitted for examination, surface soils as well as subsoil, and taken from fields which produced rusted crops, showed phosphates and lime in quantities scanty in the extreme, especially the former, and as it appears not in the normal proportions which of these substances wheat soil should contain the advisability of adding bone manure or guano, rich in phosphoric acid and lime, to such soils is proved.

5. It is desirable that in all instances the farmer should submit his soil to analysis (a measure which may be carried out at a trifling expense), to ascertain whether his soil is devoid of any particles for the intended crop, to guide him also in the selection of that manure which may be especially needed, and to regulate his crop according to the capacity of his land.

6. We entertain an opinion that the effects of rust on wheat crops would be mitigated if the phosphoric acid, alkalies,

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alkalis?

and alkaline earths necessary for the healthy growth of this cereal, were always abundantly offered.

7. We observed, at least in the Geelong district, which has been more particularly examined, the rust in all positions and aspects — in rich as well as in sterile soil, in lands with surface drainage as well as underdrained, on ground whether manured or not, but worst in new lands, which had been immediately sown after ploughing; nor has the rust been found to be confined to any geological formation.

8. It suggests itself as desirable that ploughing should be effected at so early a period as to allow of an interval of not less than a month between the breaking up of the ground and the sowing, inasmuch as crops sown immediately after ploughing were found to be more affected by rust than others.

9. We are inclined to attribute the blight, which destroyed many crops, especially of oats in low flat lands, before the corn advances into flower, mainly to want of sufficient drainage, whereby a decay of the plant in the earlier stage of its development is caused through excessive moisture, accelerated by fungus growth, and perhaps by insufficiency of lime and phosphates in the soil.