BARLEY AND OATS. 101 



" I came in possession of the original wheat by 

 accident. An Italian gentleman of Florence, mar- 

 ried against his father's will, was disinherited, and 

 emigrated to America, bringing, among a quantity 

 of other seeds, a tierce of this wheat, as he intended 

 to turn farmer. The wheat did not arrive season- 

 ably for the spring sowing in this place, and was left 

 in a storehouse on the canal. The gentleman con- 

 tracted for a farm in the town of Florence in this 

 county (induced by the name, probably), was no farm- 

 er, made bad^ calculations and worse, experiments, 

 and failed in everything; he soon became reduced, 

 and was about to eat his imported wheat, for which 

 I had advanced him money to pay the transit and 

 charges. I happened to see it, and, being struck with 

 its excellence, told him it must not be so disposed 

 of; procured him other wheat, and took it at its cost 

 in Italy, $2 50 per bushel. I succeeded in getting it 

 into the hands of some of our farmers, though with- 

 out much confidence on their part. But the result 

 was most gratifying ; the wheat actually producing 

 about double the quantity usually grown on an acre, 

 and selling at more than double the price of common 

 spring wheat. From this it has all arisen." 



CHAPTER VII. 



BARLEY AND OATS. 



Varieties of Barley.— Best mode of Culture.— Varieties of Oats. 

 — Suitable Soils. — Good^rops. 



The increasing attention which is paid to the cul- 

 tivation of barley ; the profits of the crop ; its value 

 as a preparative for wheat ; and the favour which it 

 finds as a substitute for wheat in making bread, are 



