Abstract
CLIMATTO CONTROL OF WIIFAT AND WooL IN AUSTEALIA.—Mr. Henry Barkley, the Senior Research Meteorologist of the Commonwealth Weather Bureau, has published preliminary results of the control exercised by rainfall critical periods on production in Austrelia. The first paper (Wheat and Grain Review Aug. 6) shows that after allowing for the gradual improvement due to improved methods, 90 per cent. of the variations in the Victorian wheat harvest depend on fluctuations of the rainfall in August and September, thus enabling a very good forecast to be made two months ahead. The relation- ship is not linear, but the wheat yield is roughly proportional to the logarithm of the rainfall. In other parts of Australia the critical periods vary from June to August. Another interesting result which the author obtains is that there is very fair agreement between the spring wheat yields of Victoria and the contemporary autumn yields of Canada and, until 1916, Russia. This is attributed to a general control of the climates of all three countries by solar variations, which cause a cyclic change of roughly three years. Mr. Barkley's second paper (Pastoral Review, August) deals with the control of the wool yield in November by rainfall as early as January and February. The relationship is again very close; the weight of the wool clip shows a progressive increase as the rainfall of the two months tOgether rises from 1 to 4½ inches; the latter is the optimum value and heavier rain causes a slight falling off, It is not yet clear, however, whether the increase of weight represents a real gain of that amount, or whether it is partly due to an increase of greasy matter, and further data are required to settle this and some other doubtful points. It is to be hoped that Mr. Barkley will be able to continue these valuable researches, which have a direct bearing on Australian production.
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Research Items. Nature 120, 632–633 (1927). https://doi.org/10.1038/120632a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/120632a0