170 . Report of Experiments on Wheat in the State of N. Yorh. Vol. IX. 



Description. — The chafF is whiter than 

 iii mo?t varieties, A few -ehort and soft 

 lieordd are found in the upper end of the 

 lieads, which are inclined to droop some- 

 whit like the heads of barley. The straw 

 may be said to be of medium length, and 

 not as large as the straw of the common 

 varieties. At the root it is more solid, and 

 of a wiry appearance, being more stiff" and 

 not as subject to lodge as when it was iirst 

 introduced. The heads are not long, but 

 generally well filled, with thirty to forty 

 Tiernels in each head. The kernel is of a 

 white flinty appearance, and very solid, with 

 a thin bran ; the berry is of good size : the 

 straw is very white and of a bright appear- 

 ance ; having less leaf on the straw than 

 any other variety I have had under cultiva- 

 tion. There is one peculiarity about this 

 variety not met with in any other with 

 which I am acquainted: that is, the tenacity 

 with which the berry adheres to the chalf 

 in its chamber. It must be very ripe to 

 waste by shelling when cut, and when 

 thrcslied, but little of the chaff" is separated 

 from the straw. The only objection to this 

 variety when first introduced, was, that it 

 was difficult to tread it out with horses, or 

 beat it out with the flail ; and then the 

 white caps adhered so closely to the kernel 

 that it was frequently complained of by the 

 millers. But on the introduction of thresh- 

 ing machines, this objection was entirely 

 removed, for in passing through the machine, 

 tlie chaff" is completely torn from the berry. 

 That which was formerly a strong objection, 

 is now considered a decided advantage, as it 

 docs not sufl"er by standing until it is fully 

 ripe, and gives the wheat-grower more time 

 to secure his crop without loss. 



When it was first introduced, it was 

 mostly sought for to sow after corn, or on 

 land not well prepared, and on thin and 

 light soils — seldom being affected by the 

 frost of winter, except on some bleak points 

 where the snow is off most of the winter, 

 or where the snow would blow on and re- 

 main in heavy drifts till late in the spring — 

 where, in fiict, no variety that we have in- 

 troduced could succeed. 



This variety h^s withstood the Hessian 

 fly better than any other now cultivated. 

 The solidness of the straw at the root, gives 

 tiie fly less chance of destroying it, as it is 

 not as easily eaton off" when the berry is 

 filling — the time when wheat is most in- 

 jured by the fly. Some of the stalks of this 

 variety will be so eaten as to fall down, yet 

 mature the berry; while in other varieties, 

 after it has fallen from the injury of the fly, 

 the greater part of it fails to mature. 



The hard and flinty berry is not easily 



afl^ected by the rains, and it is consequently 

 less subject to grow from exposure in an un- 

 flivourable harvest than other varieties. I 

 have never known it to grow while standing 

 in the field, and seldom while standing in 

 the shock; but when committed to the earth, 

 it vegetates, very readily. Some have sup- 

 posed that by threshing it in a machine, 

 many kernels are injured so that they will 

 not vegetate. I have frequently threshed a 

 few bushels with a flail, and sown it side by 

 side with that threshed with the machine; 

 and have not yet become satisfied that the 

 threshing with the machine has proved in- 

 jurious to wheat intended for seed. 



The amount of seed and time of sow- 

 ing. — There is some difference in opinion 

 as to the quantity required to be sown to the 

 acre : first, we must take into consideration 

 the soil, its quality — for on that much de- 

 pends — and the time of sowing — on clay 

 loam soils, the first week in September is 

 the best time for this section of the State. 

 It is important to have it take a good root 

 before winter, and if sown earlier, the fly is 

 very apt to destroy some of it in the fall ; 

 and if it should be so large as nearly to 

 cover the ground the last of October, it 

 should be eaten off" by cattle or sheep, as it 

 is less liable to be injured by deep snows. 

 Here one bushel of seed to the acre, is as 

 good as more on soils in good condition ; if 

 sown ten days later, add one peck more 

 seed per acre. On sandy, gravelly loams, 

 the second week in September is the time 

 most favourable for sowing: if earlier, the 

 fly is very apt to aff"ect it, so as to diminish 

 the crop. Wheat, on such soils, appears to 

 suffer more from the fly, than on clay soils. 

 On these soils, one bushel per acre ; and if 

 the soil is not in good condition, one peck 

 more should be sown. The White Flint 

 spreads or tillers more than the common 

 varieties; and when I have sown a bushel 

 and a half the second week in September, 

 it was too thick, the straw fine, the heads 

 short, and the berry not as large and fine as 

 it would have been, if one peck less had 

 been sown to the acre. There is one ad- 

 vantage in sowing thick on soils where it is 

 subject to be aff"ected by rust; it will ripen 

 two or three days earlier. That is an im- 

 portant consideration on soils unfavourable 

 to the early ripening of wheat. 



The yield per acr6. — While this kind of 

 wheat has been generally received with 

 great favour, as one of the most productive 

 varieties, the shortness of its head has by 

 some been thought an objection. I believe 

 the head is as large in proportion to the size 

 of the straw, as the other varieties. The 

 amount per acre here, on common soils, is 



