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valuf, as the perfons engaged in this bufinefs are now moftly 

 beginning to do. Some" farmers mix it with different pro- 

 portioiij of winter red wheat, as the red Lammas, which 

 refembles it fo much in colour, that they never fail to profit 

 by the praftice, as it increafes the weight of the mixture 

 more than it diminiihes the quality of the fample ; and be- 

 fides renders it more produftive at the mill. The propor- 

 tions employed are ufually about one half, or rather lefs 

 than that quantity, in fuch mixtures. The average weight 

 of fpring wheat is moftly about fixty pounds the bufhel. 

 The bread made from the flour of it is, it is faid, fweeter 

 than that from winter corn of the wheat kind. And that 

 it is likewife more nutritious, as containing a larger propor- 

 tion of gluten, or half animalized matter, in its compofition. 

 The bread is alfo allowed to be more palatable, it is faid, 

 to thofe who are in the habit of conitantly eating it. In 

 proof of its greater power of nourifhment and fupport, the 

 analyfia of fir Humphrey Davy has lliewn, that it has more 

 gluten or real nutrient matter in it, when 'compared with 

 other grains of the fame kind, than in good winter wheat, 

 in the proportion of twenty-four to nineteen in the hundred. 

 And that in regard to the infoluble matter or part, or the 

 bran, there is only a difference of two parts more in the 

 hundred, when compared with good winter wheat of this 

 country. Confequently, that the difference in price between 

 it and fuch wheat, when of equal weight, (hould only be 

 in that proportion. 



The advantages which attend the more general introduc- 

 tion and growth of this fort of grain or wheat, are partly 

 of a private, and partly of a public nature. In the former 

 point of view it is of great importance, it is faid by the 

 writer of the above inquiry, to have it in the power of the 

 farmer to raife fo valuable an article as wheat, though fown 

 late in the fpring, or even in the beginning of fummer. It 

 ■was formerly generally conceived that after turnips, which 

 was confidered as the bafis of good hufbandry on liglit 

 forts of land, that barley, including bear or bigg, was almoft 

 the only crop that could be raifed and grown with advan- 

 tage, as the fowing of winter wheat in the fpring could 

 enly be attempted or praftifed in a partial manner. But 

 it now appears that fpring wheat may be raifed and grown 

 with as much eafe and facility, and with more profit, than 

 the inferior forts of barley, too great a quantity of which 

 is grown at prefent, fince the exportation of grain has been 

 cheecked and reftridled, and fuch enormous duties laid on 

 malt. But here is a refource, it is faid, which, if aided by 

 a prohibition of foreign wheat from being imported, unlefs 

 at augmented rates or prices, would always enable the 

 farmer or grower, where his fituation and the nature of his 

 land are fuited to the cultivation of it, to proceed in his 

 tifeful and induftrious career with proper inducement, 

 energy, and fpirit, 



A Itill further moft important circumilance in favour of 

 fpring wheat is, that, it is faid, of its not only being exempt 

 from the blight or mildew, but alfo of its not being hable to 

 any rl(k of damage or injury from the grub or wire-worm : 

 and this is a matter which is not to be attributed to the nature 

 of lands or feafons ; for the farmers of the extenfive traft 

 or diftrift of country known by the name of South Hoi- 

 land, in the county of Lincoln, in which there are various 

 kinds of land, uniformly declare, that they were compelled, 

 many years ago, by the frequent attacks of the blight and 

 mildew, to abandon almoft entirely the fowing of winter 

 wheat, and to fublUtute fpring wheat in its place or ftead. 

 That fpring wheat is not liable to the difeafe of blight or 

 mildew, has alfo been lately (hewn by a field of twelve acres, 

 which wa» totally, it ie faid, exempt from that difeafe, in a 



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diftrift where every other field was in a moll roiferable 

 ftate or condition with it. In the correfted account of the 

 " Agriculture of the County of Effex," it is ftated, how- 

 ever, that there is an inilance of fpring wheat being mil- 

 dewed : and that Mr. Bailey, of Chillingham, itates, in z 

 letter to the writer of the " Inquiry," that fpring wheat, 

 fown in the month of March, was affefted with the mildew, 

 while the fame fort, fown on the 2d, the 3d, and the loth 

 of May, efcaped ; alfo, that fome fpring or bearded wheat 

 of the laft crop, fuffered from that diforder where it wa» 

 thick on the ground, probably owing to the want of air ; 

 for where it was thin, it efcaped. The writer of the " In- 

 quiry," however, conceives, that a few exceptions cannot 

 overturn a general rule, which was recognized above a cen- 

 tury ago in the " Syftema Agricultura," printed in the 

 year 1681, and which repeated experience has fince fanc- 

 tioned. They, however, fufiiciently prove that it is not 

 wholly incapable of receiving the difeafe under particular 

 circumftances and modes of growth. The authority of the 

 work quoted is probably of no great confequence, as real 

 fpring wheat was at that early period but little if at all 

 known or cultivated in this country. The faft or matter 

 can perhaps only be fatisfaAorily afcertained and decided 

 by more full and correft experimental trials than any which 

 have hitherto been made. It is a very material point in its 

 favour, however, that it is a vaft deal lefs liable to the 

 difeafe than autumnal or winter wheat, which is allowed on 

 all hands. 



It ftiould, however, be noticed, that it is liable, as in the 

 other kind of wheat, to be affedled with the fmut, and 

 confequently that it muft be carefully waffied, brined, or 

 pickled, in order to avoid any riik of the difeafe, with a 

 very highly faturated folution of common fait, in fuch a 

 manner as to prevent the danger of this fort of infeftion 

 being communicated in any way, and then dulled over 

 with quicklime, as has been occafionally praftifed, and as 

 will be more fully (hewn in fpeaking of deeps and deeping 

 grain. See Steep, and Steeping Grain. See alfo Smut. 



In the latter of the above points of view, the advantages 

 of raifing this fort of wheat are not lefs important. The 

 writer of the " Inquiry" dates, that for feveral years pad 

 we have depended on importation for a part of our food. 

 We have fent abroad, it is faid, above thirty millions iter- 

 ling, to enrich and improve foreign countries, the mod part 

 of them lately in a date of holtility againd us ; and that 

 fo regular were our demands, that they were led to imagine 

 that we could not exid without their affidance in this way. 

 What, therefore, can, it is aiked, be more defirable than to 

 put an end to fuch a difgraceful dependence upon fuch 

 nations, which, by the growth and cultivation of fpring 

 wheat to a confiderable and fufEcient extent, may at once 

 be completely and effeftually accoinplidied ? It feems to 

 the writer, indeed, of fuch effential importance, that until 

 the fydem or praftice is thoroughly cftabifhed, fome legif- 

 lative encouragement, to increafe the growth and cultivation 

 of this fort of wheat, would be in the higheff degree ex- 

 pedient. How much better, it is faid, is it to promote 

 domedic cultivation and improvement, than to bedow 

 bounties on the importation of mere tradi, the refufe of 

 foreign granaries, of which fuch quantities are commonly 

 fent to this country in times of fcarcity ? 



It may confequently be fairly afked, whether the culti- 

 vation and growth of fpring wheat diould not be confidered 

 as a national refource of very great magnitude and im- 

 portance ; and as fuch be drongly inculcated on, and re- 

 commended to, the attention of the public ? The utility 

 and confequence of it in this way, in times oft carcity, have 

 6 indeed 



