Hetercccism. 5 1 



In 1S04, this country suiifered severely from an outbreak 

 of wheat mildew, in consequence of which Mr. Arthur 

 Young, the Secretary to the Board of Agriculture, issued a 

 circular of questions, so as to obtain a consensus of opinion, 

 from farmers, landowners, and others interested in the sub- 

 ject, as to various points connected with causation of mildew. 

 The ninth question ran thus : " Have you made any 

 observation on the barberry as locally affecting wheat ? " 

 The replies to these questions were published,* and from 

 them the following are selected : — 



Isaac King, Esq., Wycombe, Bucks, in answer to the 

 question about the barberry, says, " In 1/95, a field of 

 about twenty acres had two large barberry bushes growing 

 within twenty yards of it. These appeared to be the focus 

 of destruction to several acres ; in front, close to the hedge, 

 the wheat was as black as ink, and further off it was affected 

 to a less degree. ... In short, I had fifteen acres very good, 

 and five of very little value. You may conclude the bar- 

 berries were destroyed." 



Mr. S. Johnson, Thurning, Norfolk, says,t " My ob- 

 servations on the barberry have been for several years. I 

 have seen the blast from a small stem blown on the wheat 

 in one direction upwards of two furlongs, like smoke from 

 a chimney." 



Mr. W. Maxey, Knotting, Bucks, says,| "When pass- 

 ing a wheat-field a few years ago on the eve of harvest, 

 I noticed some streaks of a different darker hue across a 

 furlong of wheat from the hedge directly opposite ; at the 

 end of each streak was a barberry bush." 



Mr. James Sheppard, Chippendale, Newmarket, says,§ 

 " I have never seen an instance of wheat growing near a 

 barberry not being injured more or less." 



* A. Young, "Annals of Agriculture " (1805), vol. xliii. p. 457. 



t Marshall, loc. cit., p. 469. 



X Loc. cit., p. 505. § Loc. cit., p. 510. 



