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Spring Wheat — Sugar — AgricuUural Society. Vol. 11. 



Spring Wheat 



Has already superseded llie winter species 

 in Lower Canada, and \n the nortliern section 

 of the Union; and such are the casualties 

 which the winter crop has to encounter from 

 the Hessian fly, from hard winters, and from 

 the ^rain worm, for the latter we have no 

 doubt, will soon extend itse-jf over the whole 

 country, that we apprehend the farmers of 

 the northern and middle states, at least, will 

 soon find it advantageous to resort to the 

 spring species of this grain for their main 

 crop. Under this view of the subject, we 

 think we shall be doing a service to the read- 

 ers of the Cultivator by detailing what we 

 know in relation to ditterent species of spring 

 wheat. 



The triticum cBstivum, or spring wheat, is 

 said to be a native of southern Siberia and 

 Sicily, whence its culture has been gradually 

 dispersed through Europe and America. It 

 ripens ordinarily about the same time as win- 

 ter wheat, when sown very early ; but when 

 sown later it is fit to harvest in ten or fifteen 

 days after the former. The following, among 

 other varieties, are described in the books. 



1. Having a red spike, or ear and grain. 



2. Red spring wheat, with a white ear. 



3. A white spike and grain. These three 

 are all beardless varieties, of the same spe- 

 cies, are not easily affected by moisture, and 

 give a flour nutritious, but not so white, or in 

 so laro-e proportions, as the winter varieties 

 cultivated among us. 



4. Siberian spring wheat, probably the va- 

 riety cultivated in Oneidia, and already no- 

 ticed on the authority of Dr. Goodsell. It 

 is bearded. 



, 5. The Egyptian, or many spiked wheat. 

 Loudon terms this a variety of winter, where 

 as with us it is a spring wheat. This is re- 

 markable for its uncommon productiveness. 

 The grains, however, do not yield so large 

 a proportion of flour or meal as other species 

 or varieties, and the flour is said to be scarce- 

 ly superior to that obtained from the finest 

 barley. It has been introduced in our coun- 

 try to a considerable extent. 



6. Spelt wheat, noticed under correspond- 

 ence. Sown in spring. 



7. Italian spring wheat. This is the va- 

 riety which was introduced by Mr. Hathway, 

 of Rome, and which seems to have proved 

 congenial to our soil and climate wherever 

 it has been tried. It is bearded, the product 

 is abundant, and the grain makes excellent 

 flour. 



There are besides those we have enume- 

 rated, several other varieties of spring wheat, 

 with which we are not acquainted, as the 

 Black Sea and Tea wheat, which are proba- 



bly mere varieties, which have been modified 

 by climate and culture. 



'IMie while, or spring or summer wheats, 

 flourish best on light soils. The ground, how- 

 ever, requires to be well pulverized. A good 

 preparation is a clover lay, ploughed in May, 

 and sown the 1.5th in this latitude, (Albany,) 

 so as to escape the grain worm. The straw 

 of spring wheat is generally shorter than that 

 of the winter varieties, the berry less plump, 

 the flour less abundant, and darker, but 

 equally nutritious. — Cultivator. 



Sugar. 



The following, which we translate from a 

 late French paper, contain curious and inter- 

 esting information : 



At this time, when the important subject 

 of sugars occupies public attention, we be- 

 lieve that our readers will be glad to receive 

 some statistical information relative to the 

 consumption of the article. The following 

 scale of consumption is from a table published 

 in the Edinburgh Review : 



Ireland, with 8,000,000 inhabitants, con- 

 sumes 18,000,000 kilogrammes* of sugar. 



Spain, with 12,000,000 inhabitants, con- 

 sumes 40,000,000 kil. 



The United States, with 12,000,000 in- 

 habitants, 100,000,000 kil. 



Great Britain, with 16,000,000 inhabitants, 

 180,000,000 kil. 



France, with 32,000,000 of inhabitants, 

 100,000,0{;0 kil. 



Which is an allowance for Ireland of 2^ 

 kilogrammes per head ; for Spain, 3^ kil., for 

 the United States, 8^ kil., for Great Britain, 

 lU kil., for France, 3i kil. 



So it seems that our consumption is less 

 than that of either England, the United 

 States, or even Spain. It is only in Ireland, 

 that miserable country, that they consume a 

 little less sugar than in France. 



Agricultural Society, New Castle Co., Del. 



An adjourned quarterly meeting of the Agri- 

 Cultural Society ot New Uastie County was held 

 at New Ark, 9th mo. 16th, 1837. 



'l"hc President, P. Rkyhold, in the chair. 



Benjamin Webb, Sam'l. Woilaston. Wm. R, 

 Sellars, Wm. Chandler and Wm. Solomon, 

 were appointed a committee to make arrange- 

 ments for, and superintend the annual Cattle 

 Show to be held in Wilmington on the 4th of 

 next month (the first Wednesday in October;) 

 and Dr. W m. Gibbons, Samuel Hilles, James 

 Webb, Merrit Canby and Dr. 'I'homson were ap- 

 pointed to have the management of the Horti- 

 cultural Exhibition to be held at the same time. 

 The committees were desired to publish as soon 

 as practicable, for the information of persons 

 having cattle, vegetables, or other articles to be 



♦ A kilogramme is nearly two lbs. 



