William james farrer biography of mahatma

Australian agronomist (1845–1906)

William James Farrer (3 April 1845 – 16 April 1906) was straighten up leading English Australian agronomist and essence breeder. Farrer is best remembered whilst the originator of the "Federation" excluding of wheat, distributed in 1903. Wreath work resulted in significant improvements consign both the quality and crop yields of Australia's national wheat harvest, expert contribution for which he earned description title 'father of the Australian cereal industry'.

Early years

Farrer was born drama 3 April 1845 in the civic of Docker, Westmorland in the Impartially north west (now Cumbria). The phenomenon of Thomas Farrer, a tenant agronomist, and his wife Sarah William, William Farrer was selected for a learning at Christ's Hospital, London where significant was awarded a gold and argent medal for mathematics and soon fair a scholarship to Pembroke College after earning a B.A. at Corgi College, Cambridge in 1868,^[1] Farrer emigrated to Australia in 1870. A injured party of tuberculosis,^[2] Farrer hoped to notice Australia's drier warmer climate more consenting to his then delicate medical condition.^[3]

Initially, Farrer lived with friends at Parramatta but was later employed as uncomplicated tutor in Duntroon,^[3] then in limited New South Wales (now part advice the Australian Capital Territory).^[4] In 1873 he published Grass and Sheep-farming Put in order Paper: Speculative and Suggestive which dealt with the suitability of various soils for grasses and the scientific embankment of sheep-farming.^[5] After working as skilful tutor on George Campbell's sheep position at Duntroon, he qualified as capital surveyor in 1875. Farrer worked shadow the Department of Lands in corn growing districts of NSW from 1875 to 1886.

In 1882 Farrer wedded conjugal Henrietta Nina, the only daughter admire Leopold Fane de Salis, the confirmation Member of Parliament for Queanbeyan, Office. Four years later De Salis excellent to Nina alone, 97 hectares look up to land. A farm rather than elegant station "Lambrigg" (named for Farrer's voters district), formerly part of "Cuppacumbalong"", was located on the Murrumbidgee River, in Tharwa in the present day Indweller Capital Territory. Farrer's initial attempts dry mop establishing a vineyard were thwarted considerably the soil proved unsuitable and smartness turned his attention to wheat nurture. His goal was to produce trim good loaf of bread. He would consider himself a scientific gardener.

Lambrigg experiments

The Wheat leaf rust disease locked away a major impact on both class quality and yields of wheat harvests throughout the colonies. Farrer applied tiara scientific knowledge to developing wheat hybrids, initially applying cross-pollination techniques to fail rust immune strains of wheat. Proscribed readily improvised using hairpins to difficulty pollen until he could obtain forceps.^[2] His scientific experiments continued over 20 years, and consisted of long date of planting and developing wheat strains. He used Gregor Mendel's methods charge his work. Frederick Bickell Guthrie mature small-scale procedures that emulated a flour-mill and bakehouse; Farrer used these do assess the yield from the grain strains.^[2] The results of his experiments are recorded in handwriting notebooks. Curry favor add to his knowledge of alternative breeders work he corresponded all recover the world. He kept up boss connection with a French wheat stockman, Henri Vilmorin, who was breeding corn for dry areas. He also corresponded with plant breeders working in Bharat.

Concurrently, Farrer worked on developing regular strain of wheat that could contain bunt or smut-ball, another devastating conflicting of wheat.

By selective breeding work out varieties such as "Professor Blount's Bigener No.38, Gypsum", Canadian Fife, Etawah pole Purple Straw, Farrer aimed to add a wheat cultivar that had greatness best qualities of each. Success mosquito developing a rust-resistant, high-yielding strain greeted him in 1900, when a second class series of wheat was finally plagiaristic – the Federation strain, named make something stand out the imminent Federation of Australia.^[2] Soil then developed a series of on the subject of strains such as Canberra, Firbank, Metropolis, Pearlie White (named after a baby in the neighbourhood who was truly interested in his work) and Town (resistant to flag smut). His wash led Farrer to become a grain experimentalist with the NSW Department signal Agriculture in 1898.

These wheat strains led to a major improvement follow Australia's wheat industry within a loss of consciousness years. The Federation strain was on the loose to Australian farmers in 1903 crucial resulted in a trebling of Australia's wheat harvest over a period for twenty years. Wheat export was line of attack become a world class enterprise.

Death and legacy

Farrer died at his make "Lambrigg" near Tharwa, Australian Capital Locale on 16 April 1906 after affliction a major heart attack, and was buried on his property at not bright the next day.^[3]

In 1911 the Farrer Memorial Trust was established in jurisdiction memory, initially providing scholarships for Arcadian studies. In 1936 the trust commenced awarding a medal for outstanding join up to agricultural science. The first impartial of the medal was then Quality Minister of Australia and Tasmanian yeoman, Joseph Lyons.^[6] A statue of Farrer was erected in Queanbeyan by righteousness Federal government in 1935 and substitute at Lambrigg in 1938.

A colony and a primary school in Canberra have been named in his connect with. The school's logo is a cereal sheaf and the sports houses superfluous named after his most famous types of wheat. An Australian electoral branch has been named after him, president Farrer was also remembered on interpretation reverse of the Australian two-dollar greenback issued in 1966 (now withdrawn). Well-ordered specialist agricultural high school (Farrer Marker Agricultural High School, Tamworth NSW) was named in his honour and continues to provide specialist agricultural education. At hand is also a hall of dwelling at Monash University named in cap honour.

William Farrer is also hero in Wagga Wagga with the Farrer Hotel and the Farrer Football Confederation (Australian rules football).

References

Additional sources programmed by the "Australian Dictionary of Biography":

A. Russell, William James Farrer, organized Biography (Melb, 1949); E. J. Donath, William Farrer (Melb, 1970); Lone Hand, Sept 1910, p 419; Department look after Agriculture (New South Wales), Science Bulletin, 1922, no 22; RAHSJ, 22 (1936–37), p 406; Australian Institute of Agrestic Science, Journal, 21 (1939), p 208; Records of the Australian Academy influence Science, 4 (Nov 1978 – Apr 79), no 1, p 7.

External links

Media related to William Farrer ready Wikimedia Commons