20 Insects Injurious to Vegetation. [Jan., 



ly esteemed in Germany than in any other country, being there 

 preferred even to all other kinds of wheat. The China wheat, 

 said originally to have been found in a crate of imported China 

 ware, branches and grows very much like rye, ripens at least a 

 week earlier than other varieties, yields largely, (forty or fifty 

 bushels per acre it is said,) and has never been known to be in- 

 jured by the fly. {Pat. Off. Report, 1S44, p. 43.) The Medit- 

 erranean WHEAT, in such high repute for its fly proof and other 

 qualities, was introduced into Maryland in 1837. It is a light 

 red-chaff, having a long stiff beard, a long, red, and very flinty 

 berry, and ripens about ten days earlier than other varieties. Mr. 

 Garnett, in his Fredericksburg address, considers its only title to 

 be designated as fly proof, is, that it recovers better than other 

 wheats from the depredations of this insect. In the South. Plan- 

 ter, (vol. ii., p. 243,) it is said to be a coarse dark grain, much 

 like rye, and yielding such indifferent flour, that some of the mer- 

 chants had announced they would buy no more of it. Its straw 

 too, when grovvn upon a fertile soil, is said to be too weak to 

 support the head. Mr. R. L. Wright, in the American Agricul- 

 turist of 1843, and others, state that it improves by cultivation. 

 As it becomes fully acclimated, it wull, we doubt not, lose its most 

 objectionable traits; but will it not with them also lose its fly proof 

 and other qualities, w^hich are its main recommendations at pre- 

 sent? On the whole, this variety is so very prolific, and so ex- 

 empt fiom all diseases, that we are not surprised at the marked 

 favor it has received. It is admirably adapted for securing a pre- 

 mium in our agricultural societies, where, " the largest crop, 

 raised at the least expense" receives the prize; but its grower 

 will be reluctant to inform his neighbors, that he sells it in mar- 

 ket at six cents per bushel under the current price. In fine, we 

 think this noted variety can never come into general favor in those 

 districts where choicer kinds can be successfully cultivated. The 

 Etrurian wheat, brought home by Com. Stewart, so far as yet 

 appears, possesses all the most valuable qualities, and none of the 

 defects of the Mediterranean. This is a bald variety, having a 

 strong and vigorous stalk, a beautiful long smooth head, yielding 

 a round, plump, white kernel, with a remarkably thin bran. It 

 is very prolific, and quite as early as the Mediterranean, (Rev. D. 

 ZollickofFer and others in the American Farmer,) and has thus far 

 resisted the attack of the fly. We are gravely told by an anony- 

 mous writer, that "this wheat was not, as its name would indicate, 

 brought from the little Island of Etruria." In what creek this 

 " little island " is situated, we have been unable to discover, but 

 with such a decided negation, we are driven to the inference that 

 the grain in question was derived from a territory which we mod- 

 erns call Tuscany. The White flint wheat, one of the choicest 



