S32 Proceedings of the British Association > 



ratures which had been observed at different places in the country 

 under consideration. 



Mr Rootsey exhibited specimens of sugar, malt, and an ardent 

 spirit, which he had extracted from mangel wurzel, and considered 

 that this root might, under certain circumstances, be grown to great 

 advantage in this country, for the purposes of manufacturing the 

 above articles. 



Mr G. Webb Hall read a communication " On the Acceleration 

 of the Growth of Wheat." After pointing out the advantages 

 which might accrue to agriculture from the attention given by 

 scientific men to certain subjects with which it was connected ; and 

 the absolute necessity which now existed for making the most ex- 

 tensive and careful investigations concerning many points of great 

 importance to the success of agriculture, he proceeded to call the 

 attention of the Section to a statement of facts, by which it would 

 be seen that the usual period allotted to the occupation of the 

 ground for a crop of wheat might be very materially abridged. At 

 an average, this might be estimated at ten months, though twelve, and 

 even thirteen, were not unusual, and eight might be considered as 

 the shortest period for the ordinary winter wlieat. By a selection 

 of particular seed, and a choice of peculiar situation, wheat sown 

 early in March has been, on different occasions, ripened before the 

 middle of August, a period scarcely exceeding five months. Mr 

 Hall considers it an unquestionable law of vegetation that the off- 

 spring of a plant of early maturity itself seeks to become so like- 

 wise, even when placed in unpropitious circumstances, and that it 

 recedes with reluctance from the condition of its parent. Hence 

 the seed of a crop which has been ripened in five months has a bet- 

 ter prospect of producing another crop equally accelerated than that 

 from a crop which has been longer in ripening. He also asserted, 

 that the acceleration of a crop was farther promoted by thick sow- 

 ing, which likewise might be considered advantageous in checking 



and stopping the mildew Dr Richardson referred to the remark 



of Humboldt, that in South America the wheat crop was ripened in 

 ninety days from the period of sowing, and stated, that about Hud- 

 son's Bay this period was only seventy days. He suggested the 

 probable advantage that might arise from importing seed from the 

 latter country for the purpose of furthering Mr Hall's views ; but 

 this gentleman stated, that he had found that seed imported from a 

 distance (and he had tried some from Italy) was liable to become 

 diseased — As connected with the subject of the acceleration of the 



