944 THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. BOOK x- 



and beardless, are mentioned White Victoria, Autumn Chidham, 

 Hunter, Trump, White Spring Chidham, Talavera. An example of 

 the yellow or red grained, reddish-eared, beardless, soft wheat is 

 afforded by Hallett's. Of the smooth red-eared beardless forms with 

 white grain, the red-eared Autumn Chidham is an example. Of the 

 smooth red-eared beardless form with red grain there are enumerated, 

 amongst others, the Scottish red or blood red, Prince Albert, and 

 Browick. 



Numerous modifications are induced in the wheat plant by changes 

 of climate. In dry countries, exposed to high winds, the leaves 

 become narrow, the stem or straw very flexible, the ears awned and 

 sometimes downy ; these characters enable them to resist the effects 

 of winds and drought. The wheats of humid countries develop, on 

 the contrary, broad leaves, whereby they can transpire water vapour 

 more abundantly ; such are the Autumn Victoria, the Prince Albert, 

 and the Browick wheats. Thus, hard wheats have become almost 

 exclusively the wheats of warm dry countries ; spelts and starchy 

 wheats those of thin soils and mountainous districts ; plump wheats 

 those of table-lands or of imperfectly drained valleys ; whilst the 

 wheats of the better class, in yield and quality, are characteristic of 

 alluvial plains and fertile valleys. 



In order to increase the yield of wheat on the one hand, and to 

 improve the quality on the other, M. de Vilmorin makes a number of 

 useful suggestions. First, he says, economise the seed and so keep for 

 consumption much that would otherwise be used for sowing. With 

 the drill it is easy to sow at the rate of about a bushel and a half per 

 acre ; this, it is calculated, would give about 170 seed grains to the 

 square yard. Prepare the grain carefully beforehand by pickling with 

 a solution of blue vitriol (blue stone, or sulphate of copper), so as to 

 render it, as far as possible, proof against mildew and other fungus 

 pests. Endeavour by hoeing, wherever and whenever possible, that 

 the wheat crop alone shall benefit by the nutrient resources of the soil ; 

 it is but rarely that the expense of this operation is not more than 

 repaid in the increase of crop. Sow wheats of heavy yield preferably 

 those whose grain is of high quality in rich soils, particularly in 

 those of valleys and alluvial plains, where there is naturally supplied 

 a mixture of the various mineral elements suitable to the production of 

 the choicest wheats. Employ for soils which are less rich, and in 

 climates which are more harsh, the varieties with long grain, bearded 

 or beardless. With equality of yield, preference should always be 

 given to varieties of superior quality, those, for example, which give 

 least bran and most gluten. Generally speaking, the variety sown 

 should be selected with reference to the state of fertility, natural or 

 artificial, of the soil on which it is to be employed ; it is almost as 

 grave an error to sow a wheat of low yield in a very good soil as to 

 sow an improved variety in a poor soil, in neither case is the yield 

 likely to defray the cost of cultivation. Do not, however, substitute 

 a new variety for one which has already been found to give fair 



