now TO GROW GOOD CORN. 167 



to arrive at a new variety possessing some desired 

 quality. We believe, however, that it is not difficult 

 to alter a climate to snit a sort, and, in all proba- 

 bility, this at the present day much-used term of 

 " acclimatization " simply means no more than 

 making our cultivation and climate accord as nearly 

 as possible to the habits of the plant or animal to 

 be entertained under new conditions. 



Thus, when we see the finer white wheats growing 

 good crops on farms where such would have been 

 impossible a few years ago, we are hardly to coucludo 

 that we have at length got this more delicate sort to 

 become more hardy ; but the climate has been ame- 

 liorated by draining and better cultivation. 



We distinctly recollect when the lias clays of the 

 Vale of Gloucester could scarcely be made to grow a 

 good crop of even the hardier sorts of red wheat, the 

 common cone being the sort generally grown. This 

 was succeeded by many sorts of red wheat, and now 

 only the best-cultivated farms produce white wheats. 

 These, however, are facts which will be more strongly 

 brought out when we consider the subject of cultiva- 

 tion ; for the present we would be content with the 

 expression of a belief that wheat, as a cereal grain, 

 is derived by cultivation from a wild grass, and it is 

 due to the effects of cultivation that we have so many 

 sorts, with such variable adaptability. 



