64 ESSEX SEED CORN 



them, like turnips and mangolds, under contract for 

 one of the great seed firms, but the cereals for local 

 sale by the farmer himself. He had one or two 

 stocks of wheat of his own selecting, really pure 

 line strains grown on from a single plant which had 

 caught his attention by its extra vigour among an 

 ordinary crop ; and he was also growing some of the 

 pure line barleys to which we have alluded earlier. 

 Here, too, we saw a field or two of the French wheats 

 which at that time were being so much talked about 

 and extensively grown in the eastern counties. The 

 difficulties experienced in the previous winter in 

 getting the land ready for wheat had led to the sowing 

 in February of a considerable breadth of " Red 

 Marvel " (which is probably identical with Vilmorin's 

 hybrid Japeth), because it makes a much better spring 

 wheat than any of the older sorts once used for 

 this purpose. We saw a good many crops of this 

 variety here and farther up the country ; the spring- 

 sown fields promised very fair yields, if not up to 

 the average of ordinary autumn sowings ; but 

 the specially big berry possessed by this sort may 

 easily lead to a wrong estimate of the crop in the 

 field. Rivet or Cone wheat is also extensively grown 

 in this district, being, indeed, specially suited to the 

 warm climate and stiff soils prevailing. With its 

 bearded ears, its stiff reed-like straw, and dark colour, 

 Rivet wheat is one of the most distinctive of varieties, 

 indeed it might almost be differentiated as a separate 

 species ; it has long been grown in this country (it is 

 often known on the Continent as " English " wheat), 

 but it yields flour of poor quality, and some years ago 

 had almost dropped out of cultivation. But when the 

 importations of foreign " strong " wheats from the North- 

 West and Russia began, the millers ceased to discrim- 



