A Long List. 



159 



I do not know exactly how many varieties of cereals, 

 pure and hybrid, there may be — a very long list cer- 

 tainly, as seedsmen and nurserymen, as well as large 

 farmers, are continually producing new varieties, many 

 of which are only known locally; but I venture to 

 subjoin here some notes from the pen of one of the 

 leading agriculturists of our district (the north-eastern 

 part of Essex lying towards Suffolk), in which he 

 notes the characteristics of the various cereals most in 

 favour throughout our bounds. I give it precisely as 

 he handed it to me : — 



White Wheats. 



Roughchaffed. — The real heavy- 

 land wheat ; a great favourite with 

 millers ; very prolific in fine sea- 

 sons. 



Talavera. — Very early ; a fine 

 quality wheat coming from Spain, as 

 its name implies ; not so hardy. 



Hardcaslle and Lemy's white. — 

 Suitable for lighter soils. 



In addition to these many new 

 kinds have been raised by our prin- 

 cipal seedsmen. At present they are 

 not so general in use, but are for the 

 most part admitted to possess a stiffer 

 straw than the older varieties. 



Red Wheats. 



First and foremost comes golden- 

 drop. — A great favourite on all soils ; 

 very prolific and hardy, and not liable 

 to sprout. 



Old Kent Red. — A good wheat on 

 light and mixed soils, and considered 

 by millers to be nearly equal to best 

 white in quality. 



Nursery. — The finest quality of all 

 reds ; roust have rich deep soils. 



Square headed, both redchaff and 

 white, are good wheats on hollow 

 bottomed soils, rarely going down. 

 Of new crossbred wheats Webb's 

 Hybrid King takes first place in our 

 opinion. 



Rivets or " Clog" wheat is getting 



more into favour, as it does not lodge 

 or deteriorate through wet harvest. 



Barleys. 



Chevallier. — First raised by Dr. 

 Chevallier of Aspal, Suffolk ; is con- 

 sidered to grow the finest skin, but 

 almost equally good are Golden 

 Melon, Page's Prolific, Webb's 

 Golden Grain. Messrs. Webb's 

 Strain of Chevallier has taken 

 many prizes of late years — an excel- 

 lent barley for all soils. . 



Long-Eared Nottingham is a heavy 

 yielding kind, scarcely so good in 

 quality as the other kinds mentioned, 

 but does well on poor soils. 



Oats 

 chiefly consist of three kinds. The 

 earliest are Winters, and generally 

 come to harvest second or third week 

 in July. These are the heaviest and 

 hardiest out suitable for all soils. 



Spring Oats. 

 Tartary (white and black) axe 

 perhaps more grown than any other 

 variety, but many prefer a white 

 oat, such as Suffolk Triple or Potato, 

 the latter usually coming to more 

 weight than any other spring variety, 

 but wanting rich soil. Tartary oats 

 in the Fens often produce twelve 

 quarters per acre. 



