178 THE POSSIBILITIES 



ment of our corn crops, which is widely practised 

 in the far East, and begins to claim our attention 

 in Western Europe as well. 



At the First International Exhibition, in 1851, 

 Major Hallett, of Manor House, Brighton, had a 

 series of very interesting exhibits which he de- 

 scribed as " pedigree cereals." By picking out 

 the best plants of his fields, and by submitting 

 their descendants to a careful selection from year 

 to year, he had succeeded in producing new 

 prolific varieties of wheat and barley. Each 

 grain of these cereals, instead of giving only two 

 to four ears, as is the usual average in a corn- 

 field, gave ten to twenty-five ears, and the best 

 ears, instead of carrying from sixty to sixty- 

 eight grains, had an average of nearly twice that 

 number of grains. 



In order to obtain such prolific varieties Major 

 Hallett naturally could not sow his picked grains 

 broadcast ; he planted them, each separately, 

 in rows, at distances of from ten to twelve inches 

 from each other. In this way he found that 

 each grain, having full room for what is called 

 " tillering " (tallage in French *), would produce 



* " Shortly after the plant appears above ground it com- 

 mences to throw out new and distinct stems, upon the first 

 appearance of which a correspondent root-bud is developed for 

 its support ; and while the new stems grow out flat over the 

 surface of the soil, their respective roots assume a corresponding 

 development beneath it. This process, called ' tillering,' will 

 continue until the season arrives for the stems to assume an 



