VARIETIES OF WHEAT. 353 



good many annual weeds, and afterwards rolled with a one-horse 

 roller. 



April 26th. — Examined with Mr. P. Shirreff, and found the 

 Hunter's a little paler in colour than any of the others. Hopetoun 

 looking well — Shirreff's looking fully better than the Hunters 

 and Hopetoun, principally because it is tillering out beautifully. 

 Fenton is of a much darker green than the other varieties; it is 

 also tillering out well, but looks if anything thin on the ground. 



May 7th. — Crop inspected by a committee appointed by the 

 Highland Society, consisting of its Secretary, J. H. Maxwell, Esq., 

 Mr. Harvey, Whittingham Mains, and Mr. Smith, Whittingham. 



July 22nd. — Measured the straw, and took the average of 

 four different places in each lot (for height see schedule). 



August 1st. — There having been a heavy gale of wind blowing 

 for the last 24 hours, I examined the different lots, and found 

 the Hunter's to be more damaged than any of the other kinds. 

 I estimate the extra loss to be about 2 bushels per acre. Hope- 

 toun a little broken down, but not so much as Hunter's ; Shirreff's 

 less damaged than any of the others. Fenton broken down, but 

 not to any material extent. 



The different lots were all cut with a reaping machine the 

 same height from the ground ; they were stacked separately, and 

 covered in the usual way. The season was upon the whole 

 favourable to the growth of wheat, having been dry, with an 

 average degree of sunshine. 



The ground on which the experiment of 1865 was conducted 

 was also a gravelly loam of uniform quality and condition, the 

 previous cropping and management having been the same in all 

 respects as for the trial of 1864. 



November 14th. — Sowed broadcast carefully with the hand 

 the Hunter's and Fenton varieties, and on November 17th sowed 

 the Shirreff's and Hopetoun varieties in the same manner; rain 

 having come suddenly on, prevented the latter from being sown 

 on the same day. The ground was previously ploughed, and 

 manured with a mixture of rape, guano, and bones, at the rate of 

 2\ cwts. per acre. The seed sown was the produce of the different 

 varieties grown for last year's experiment ; the ground was, as 

 on the former occasion, exactly measured and marked off before 

 being sown, a clear space being allowed between each lot. 



April 28th. — Hunter's looking fresher than any of the others ; 

 Hopetoun looking well ; Shirreff's and Fenton not looking so 

 vigorous as the other two varieties, but still presenting a healthy 

 and promising appearance. 



May 16th. — Examined with Mr. Harvey, and we thought 

 the Hunter's looking better than any of the others, all the varie- 

 ties however looking well. 



