OF AGRICULTURE. 183 



an acre having been planted in this way, with 

 seeds obtained from both early and late ears, 

 crops corresponding to 83 '8 bushels per acre 

 for the first series, and 90' 4 bushels for the 

 second series, were obtained ; even the small 

 grains gave in this experiment as much as 70*2 

 and 62 bushels respectively.* 



The crop was thus more than doubled by the 

 choice of seeds and by planting them separately 

 eight inches apart. It corresponded in Dessprez's 

 experiments to 600 grains obtained on the average 

 from each grain sown ; and one-tenth or one- 

 eleventh part of an acre was sufficient in such 

 case to grow the eight and a half bushels of wheat 

 which are required on the average for the annual 

 bread food per head of a population which would 

 chiefly live on bread. 



Prof. Grandeau, Director of the French Station 

 Agronomique de 1'Est, has also made, since 1886, 

 experiments on Major Hallett's method, and he 

 obtained similar results. " In a proper soil," h.6 

 wrote, " one single grain of wheat can give as 

 much as fifty stems (and ears), and even more, 



and thus cover a circle thirteen inches in dia- 



I 



* The straw was eighty-three and seventy-seven cwts. per 

 acre in the first case ; fifty-nine and forty-nine cwts. in the 

 second case (Garola, Les CMales). In his above-mentioned 

 paper on " Thin Seeding," Major Hallett mentions a crop at the 

 rate of 108 bushels to the acre, obtained by planting nine inches 

 apart. 



