8 CULTURE OF FAEM CROPS. 



you, upon this kind of corn, some short notices, resuming 

 my observations of ten years ago, when I cultivated this 

 cereal. I will state first, that under this denomination 

 there are several kinds of grain in commerce which differ 

 much in their quality, in the quantity of their produce as 

 to the place where they come from, and especially as to 

 the degree of their acclimatization. I commenced by cul- 

 tivating the wheat from Australia, as procured to me by 

 Mr. Vauden Bosch, a learned agriculturist, in the island of 

 South Beveland. This corn gave me at first a fine and good 

 produce, but I abandoned it soon, because its crop dim- 

 inished yearly, and it degenerated, so to say. Then comes 

 in turn the wheat that our Society, I believe, had ordered 

 to come direct from Australia intermediately by the ship- 

 owner Duclos, at Ostend. The latter had the goodness to 

 send me, in October 1857, two hectolitres, which I sowed 

 as soon as possible in a good piece of ground, very fertile. 

 This corn gave me, in 1858, a produce of 60-J hectolitres 

 the hectare, a wonderful produce in the countries here, ex- 

 citing the incredulity of several of my compeers, but never- 

 theless true and authenticate, of which I have given a de- 

 scription in the Landbow Gourant, No. 51, of the year 

 1858. The wheat had very short ears, from 5 to 7 cen- 

 timetres, with husks of a dark brown colour, so that the 

 grains were almost white, very heavy (83 kilogrammes by 

 hectolitres), with a very fine film, and giving a flour which 

 makes the finest bread. The grains are very much ser- 

 rated, and are joined one to another, which was the cause 

 of the great crop ; the straw, shorter than that of other 

 kinds of wheat, gives the advantage of never being laid. 

 Since 1858, when I cultivated this kind with advantage, 

 and in competition with the Talavera, an English, red- 

 strawed wheat, and the " ruwarige " of Gueldre, and al- 

 though I have reasons for always being pleased with it, 

 I must admit that its produce has diminished much, vary- 

 ing from 40 to 30 hectolitres by hectare. I endeavour 

 myself to prevent or to diminish the degeneration by 

 sowing each year, upon a piece of ground apart, the grains 



