104 FIELD AND FERN. 



and it generally fetches Is. per quarter more than Hunter or Fenton. There 

 are several specimens of woolly-eared wheats, some of which stand um-ivalled 

 for milling puri)oses, and are often successfully cultivated on soft soils, but 

 in iintoward seasons they suffer more than some other varieties. Gregorian, 

 Brodie's, Ai'cher's Prolific, and Chidham are kinds all more or less sown. 

 The last is often of great weight per bushel, and invariably sells well, but 

 fi'om the smaUness of its produce it is not generally a favourite. Both Grego- 

 rian and Brodie's are also noted for qiiality, and are found to be suitaljle for 

 spring sowing. Red-strawed white is always in demand for seed in autumn, 

 and is sent in considerable quantities both to England and Ireland; but 

 though frequently highly productive and a fine sample, it has not increased 

 in popular favour. Amongst the red wheats, Spalding's and Lammas Red are 

 those most extensively cultivated: the fii-st is one of the most productive 

 wheats known, while the last produces flour of the finest quality. 



•' There ai-e upwai'ds of 40 difierent specimens of oats in straw, besides those 

 merely showing the heads with small samples of grain. In the best districts 

 the Potato oat is the most extensively cultivated, as under favourable cii-cum- 

 stances it stands uni-ivalled for produce and quality combined. It has Vjeen 

 known to yield 12 quarters per imperial acre, weighing upwards of 441bs. per 

 bushel. Its greatest drawback is its liability to shake as it approaches ma- 

 nirity, and there is always a loss in harvesting it, even before it is quite ripe. 

 Of late years the Sandy oat has greatly increased in favour in all high and 

 fate districts, from its earliuess, the superiority of its straw, the excellent 

 mealing properties of its grain in propoition to the weight per bushel, and 

 its being much less liable to suffer from wind than any other variety. 

 The Early Angus oat possesses some of the qualities of the Sandy, but the 

 straw is shorter and comparatively inferior. The Late Angus is suitable for stiff 

 and second-rate soils in tolerably' early districts, as it grows freely, and is not 

 liable to tulip-root and other diseases, which sometimes overtake the Potato and 

 finer varieties when sown under such circiimstances. It was a great favoiu'ite 

 in the Lothians, when the land was imdi-ained and the use of artificial manm-es 

 tmknoAvn. The Shu-reff oat is the earliest oat known ; the produce is fi-e- 

 quently large, but from the weight per bushel being very light it is not exten- 

 sively sown. The Hopetoun oat— another excellent variety, which agricul- 

 rurists owe to that indefatigable improver of the cereals, :Mr. Patrick Shirreff, 

 Haddington— is extensively cultivated; its (juality is about etjual to Potato 

 oats, while it is much taller in the straw. The Black Tartarian is growing in 

 favour, from its enormous jjroduce, and being suitable for horse feed ; but it 

 is light in weight, and very easily shaken ; and the colom- is also against it. 



" There are some 36 or 38 samples of l^arley in straw, but of these the 

 Chevalier is the only variety extensively cultivated. It wasnotmitil some 

 lime after the introduction of this barley that the Edinburgh brewers would 

 purchase it, but now they will have nothing to do with any other kind." 



