HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. [33 



. Of the common lammas, or winter wheat, there are four varieties : 



1. Spike and grain red, or, as the farmers call it, red straw red ; 



2. spike white, grain red; 3. spike red, grain white ; 4. spike 

 and grain both white. The first variety is most generally cul- 

 tivated, but instances of the greatest produce from the last have 

 occurred. 



Spring Wheat Cultivation. This is a modern introduction to 

 British husbandry not generally known till about the year 1800. 

 It is supposed to be a native of Tartary, and was first introduced 

 underthe name of Siberian wheat. The grain is rather longer and 

 thinner than the common wheat, is liable to be hurt by frost, and 

 must not be sown till spring ; it has ripened when sown May 15th 

 before barley sown at the same time ; but is best sown in April : 

 average value about ten per cent, less than the best autumn wheat. 

 Being a smaller grain, it will ripen with less sunshine, and receives 

 less injury in a wet harvest, drying sooner for grinding. 



There are three varieties of the spring wheat, (triticum testivum) : 

 1. Spike and grain red ; 2. spike white, grain red ; 3. spike and 

 grain white. It has been found by experiment that 9 grains of 

 spring wheat are the same weight with 7 of autumn wheat, and 

 that a 38-quart bushel of spring wheat weighing 721bs. contained 

 984,375 grains of corn, which, if equally distributed over an acre 

 of land, would be 203| grains upon a square yard, or only 2f inches 

 distant asunder every way. As many bushels per acre are generally 

 grown of spring as of autumn wheat ; but it is looked upon by the 

 millers as inferior to autumn wheat, particularly when wheat is 

 plentiful. In 1814, Mr. Pratt, of Saredon, an eminent miller, who 

 well knows the value of all the varieties of wheat, grew near 30 

 acres of it after turnips, which proved well, and yielded per acre 27 

 or 28 bushels 38-quart measure ; which is full four quarters per 

 acre statute measure : some were sown as late as May-day. 



Cons-wheat (triticum turgidum), is not much grown in Staf- 

 fordshire: there are four varieties ; 1. White cone; 2. Red cone ; 

 3. Bearded cone ; 4. Many-eared cone. 



Steeping of Seed. This is commonly done to wheat before sowing, 

 either by immersion in brine, stirring up and skimming-off whatever 

 swims on the surface ; or by sprinkling over it in a heap a sufficient 

 quantity of brine or urine, and afterwards drying it with quick lime : 

 the former method is, doubtless, superior. This, when properly 

 done, has seldom been known to fail keeping the crop free from 

 injury by smut, which is a contagious disease in wheat, and should 







