383 



At the Exeter meetiug of the British Associatiou I exhibited three plants of wheat, 

 barley, and oats, each from a single grain, with the following : 



Steins. 



Wheat 94 



Barley 110 



Oats 87 



The fiict then at once stands out that a plant of wheat requires space for full devel- 

 opment, and, therefore, time to fill that space. It is evident that the proper space and 

 time to allow to each grain are those which, while sufficient for full development, 

 leave no ground unoccupied at harvest. Such proper time must, it is plain, be much 

 earlier than when wheat is planted so thickly that " tillering" cannot take place. 



lu reference to this point of time of sowing we must consider the rate of wheat growth 

 during the different months, and the best measure we can have of this is the time whicli 

 it takes to come up. Thus wheat sown — 



1st of September comes up in 7 days_ 



In a mild autumn — 1st of October comes up in 14 days| 



1st of November comes up in 21 days] 



1st of December comes up iu , 28 day s'_ 



And assuming, as we may fairly (lo, this as the relative rate of "wheat growth when it 

 is up, then wheat which is up on the 1st of September makes iu the first fifteen days 

 of that mouth a growth equal to that of the whole month of October ; in the nest ten 

 daj's a growth equal to that of the whole of November ; and in the last five days of 

 September a growth equal to that of the first twenty days of December ; or in other 

 words, wheat up on the 1st September, compared with that up on the 1st October, has 

 exactly a double autumn for growth before the winter sets iu ; and,' indeed, the case 

 is in reality much stronger than this, for if winter were to set in early there would 

 be for wheat sown at the end of October little or no autumn growth above ground. 



The importance of every day (cspeciallj^ the earlier days) of September growth can- 

 not be overrated. 



It must be borne iu mind always that it is a matter for the maturest study and judg- 

 ment to correctly apportion the quantity of seed to the time of sowing aud to all the 

 existing surrounding circumstauces. 



A large quantity of seed sown early is just as much opposed to reason as the late 

 sowing of a small quantity of seed, and, indeed, more so, for the first must become win- 

 ter-proud and cannot succeed, while the season may be of such a character as to enable 

 the last to do so. 



As a general basis I would suggest on a large scale the drilling of wheat as follows : 

 End of August to 10th September, 2 to 3 gallons per acre ; for each week later, to the 

 end of September, an additional gallon per acre. 



When opportunity is atforded for observing the Tinimpeded growth of the cereals 

 there is seen to exist a striking variation in their mode of growth and powers of pro- 

 duction. 



The superiority of some individuals over others is so marked in various ways as to 

 lead irresistibly to the inference that it must be hereditary, aud the desire to prove 

 this brings us to the consideration of the selection of seed. 



In reference to the animals of the farm, whether horses, cattle, sheep, or pigs, th.e 

 importance of a good pedigree is fully recognized, as also with regard to some of our 

 agricultural i^lauts ; for if a fiirmer wants a good cabbage, mangold, turnip, or carrot, 

 he selects the seed from a good parent, but the moment he deals with the cereals he 

 altogether ignores the great principle of like producing like. 



Upon this great principle, running throughout all nature, I base my system of se- 

 lection. 



The results of selection iu many agricultural plants, such as the parsnip, cabbage, 

 turnip, potato, hop, »&c., are Avell known ; aud there has recently been published in 

 France a report showing how my principle of selection, applied to the beet culti- 

 vated for sugar, has resulted in an increase of 5 per cent, of sugar. 



In the case of the vine, too, I may cite an instance : 



Some eight years since I communicated to an Italian friend my views as to the se- 

 lection of the vines. These ho carried back with him to his relative iu Piedmont, and 

 two years ago he informed me that the produce in wine from his relative's estate had 

 been trebled by adopting the principle of selection. 



No one can go into a hop garden in this country without being struck with the con- 

 trast betv.'eeu some of the poles covered with hops, and other poles having scarcely any 

 at all upon them, the season of course having been the same for all. 



The science of horticulture, too, presents innumerable ijroofs of, and, indeed, may be 

 said to owe its very existence to, the principle of plant selection. 



Now that some, at least, of the variations of cereals are heritable is obvious from 

 the existence of the numerous distinct varieties. 



