NOTE. 



A highly respectable friend has been so good as to point out to 

 me my careless mode of expression, in my " Notices for a young 

 Farmer ," page xxxvi. I mention wheat being so injured by stag- 

 nant water, " as to become abortive ; and produce only cheat." 

 I should have said, " and the spot on which it had been sowed, 

 produced only cheat." I do not believe in the transmutation of 

 grain from one kind to another; more than I credit the transmu- 

 tation of metals. Crossings and hybridous mixtures are to be 

 accounted for; but they proceed from intercourse of perfect plants. 

 Cheat often succeeds, or rather takes the place of, destroyed or 

 abortive wheat: why ? — 1 do not pretend to assign the cause. I 

 have known cheat sown, produce cheat: but never change its 

 kind on frequent repetitions. Plants degenerate by bad, and me- 

 liorate by good, culture ; but do not change their kind. Wheat 

 is, originally, a mean gramen ; yet it is wheat, and not cheat. I 

 have never seen any scientific or botanical description of cheat, so 

 as to induce me to believe it a degenerated wheat; or any variety 

 of the triticum. Botanists must determine this question. 



He informs me, that the Lawler wheat, (Jones's,) is pipy, 

 or hollow and soft strawed ; and yet it is not injured by th# Hes- 

 sian fly. If this be generally the case, it is a fortunate discovery. 

 All my knowledge of it, is contained in a note, page 218. Whe- 

 ther it resists, or is avoided by, the fly, I know not. I have found 

 that solid strawed or cone wheats, resist injuries by the fly ; and 

 other wheats, with good farming and late seeding, are successful 

 generally ; but not uniformly. Some kinds of wheat escape the 

 stunt ; which is believed by many to occur from injuries by in- 

 sects. I have supposed, that some species of the same genus of 

 plants are disgusting to insects ; and thus escape their ravages. 

 See a note on the subject, page 26. It seems the Blue straw 

 wheat is a victim to the flies, though the straw is coarse and 

 strong; and the Lawler escapes their assaults. Whether they 

 have predilections for one more than the other, is worthy of in- 

 quiry. I have thrown out opinions on the subject of some plants 

 being favourites with particular insects, whilst they have antipa- 

 thies to others. I hazard these opinions to invite information. 



R. Peters. 

 Mgust 23, 1818. 



