﻿114 
  Elementary 
  Species 
  

  

  sown 
  separately, 
  and 
  the 
  lots 
  compared 
  during 
  

   their 
  whole 
  life-period 
  and 
  chiefly 
  at 
  harvest 
  

   time. 
  Three 
  of 
  the 
  lots 
  were 
  judged 
  of 
  high 
  

   excellence, 
  and 
  they 
  alone 
  were 
  propagated, 
  and 
  

   proving 
  to 
  be 
  constant 
  new 
  varieties 
  from 
  the 
  

   outset 
  were 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  trade 
  under 
  the 
  names 
  

   of 
  " 
  ShirrefTs 
  bearded 
  white," 
  " 
  Shirreff's 
  

   bearded 
  red," 
  and 
  " 
  Pringle's 
  wheat." 
  

   They 
  have 
  found 
  wide 
  acceptance, 
  and 
  the 
  first 
  

   two 
  of 
  them 
  are 
  still 
  considered 
  by 
  Vilmorin 
  as 
  

   belonging 
  to 
  the 
  best 
  wheats 
  of 
  France. 
  

  

  This 
  second 
  method 
  of 
  Shirreff 
  evidently 
  is 
  

   quite 
  analogous 
  to 
  the 
  principle 
  of 
  Lagasca 
  and 
  

   Le 
  Couteur. 
  The 
  previous 
  assumption 
  that 
  

   new 
  varieties 
  with 
  striking 
  features 
  were 
  being 
  

   produced 
  by 
  nature 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  time, 
  was 
  

   abandoned, 
  and 
  a 
  systematic 
  inquiry 
  into 
  the 
  

   worth 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  divergent 
  constituents 
  of 
  the 
  

   fields 
  was 
  begun. 
  Every 
  single 
  ear 
  at 
  once 
  

   proved 
  to 
  belong 
  to 
  a 
  constant 
  and 
  pure 
  race, 
  

   but 
  most 
  of 
  these 
  were 
  only 
  of 
  average 
  value. 
  

   Some 
  few 
  however, 
  excelled 
  to 
  a 
  degree, 
  which 
  

   made 
  them 
  worth 
  multiplying, 
  and 
  to 
  be 
  intro- 
  

   duced 
  into 
  trade 
  as 
  separate 
  varieties. 
  

  

  Once 
  started, 
  this 
  new 
  method 
  of 
  comparison, 
  

   selection 
  and 
  isolated 
  multiplication 
  was 
  of 
  

   course 
  capable 
  of 
  many 
  improvements. 
  The 
  

   culture 
  in 
  the 
  experiment-field 
  was 
  improved, 
  so 
  

   as 
  to 
  insure 
  a 
  fuller 
  and 
  more 
  rapid 
  growth. 
  

  

  