Convict Days

It’s Like The Old Convict Days All Over Again

Sixty-six acres of wheat, the largest area sown since the convict days, are now flourishing on Norfolk Island.

The wheat is being grown with the encouragement of the island’s Administrator, Mr.

Roger Nott, who is a former New South Wales Minister of Agriculture.

The seed for the crop was especially imported by the Administrator from his own farm in New South Wales.

Mr. Nott said recently that the Norfolk wheat, at this stage of the season, was equal to any that he had ever grown.

He estimated that the locally grown wheat would be produced at half the cost of imported grain, the bill for which, over the past 12 months, has been more than £3,000.

Mr. Nott has also arranged for the importation of hybrid sorghum seed from the New South Wales Department of Agriculture, and this is expected to arrive soon.

Nine farmers have intimated that they are interested in grow ing sorghum, which has the same food value for pigs and poultry as wheat, and can be harvested with the same

machinery .•

Merval Hoare.