i38 Chi Jerusalem Wheat, 



of it sown, when he sold the seed at the immense price^ 

 of ten guineas the stone. The produce was said to be, 

 greater tlian that of any other known kind of wheat ; the 

 stalk strong and reedy, and to be filled with a pithy sub- 

 stance which proved highly nourishing when the straw- 

 was cut and given to horses. The straw bears a clump 

 of many ears, and the grain is said to yield an unusual 

 quantity of the finest flour. I was presented by Captain 

 Geddes, with half a pint of the Jerusalem wheat from 

 Dublin, in June 1806, it weighed six ounces: when 

 exhibited at the Agricultural Society, the members 

 were struck with the shrivelled appearance of the grain, 

 and their unequal whiteness. This led to the opinion 

 that more than one variety of wheat, was contained in 

 the sample. I sowed it in drills, on a spot highly pre- 

 pared, but the carelessness of my overseer permitted the 

 poultry to destroy it during the winter. Joseph Cooper 

 of New Jersey, sowed some of the same kind of wheat 

 in October 1805, and observed that it ripened very 

 unequally, owing as he thought to the weight of the 

 heads causing many of the stalks to fall to the ground. 

 The crop of 1807, stood well, but still ripened une- 

 qually. I procured half a peck from him last autumn^ 

 which I sowed in a piece of well prepared ground, and 

 shall carefully note its progress, and produce. 



It is believed that the same variety of wheat was in- 

 troduced into this country in 1792, as some of a kind 

 answering to the description of the Jerusalem wheat, 

 ivas presented to the society, and distributed among 

 the members, but as it has been lost, it is more than 

 probable it possessed no particular good qualities. 



J. Mease. 



