148 Lectures on the Results of the 



of yielding vast quantities of corn of this description, which takes 

 the lead in the markets of this country over all other white wheat. 



It is very true that from Spain there has come a similar kind 

 of wheat of great excellence also, as is seen by this beautiful 

 sample from Castile, from the Mayor of Medina del Campo, the 

 weight of which is unknown, and not easy to estimate, because 

 it is not a clean sample. This is certainly of great excellence 

 also ; but, independently of its being the produce of a foreign 

 country, it is almost inaccessible to us, and therefore a matter of 

 curiosity more than of practical value ; because, owing to the 

 difficulty of transport, it cannot at present come into the markets 

 of this kingdom. If it could, considering that it sells in Old 

 Castile at 24s. a quarter, it is not easy to say what might be the 

 effect upon the English market of the introduction of any large 

 quantity of it. We find, moreover, that similar quantities of 

 wheat, growing in the same rich country of Spain, are vendible at 

 much lower rates. 



I have already said, that among the wheats produced at the 

 Exhibition, that from our South Australian colonies is the best — . 

 that it is much the best. And here let me make a remark on that 

 subject. It has been supposed that all we have to do in this 

 country, in order to obtain on our English farms wheat of the 

 same quality as this magnificent Australian corn, is to procure the 

 seed and sow it here. There cannot be a greater mistake. The 

 wheat of Australia is no peculiar kind of wheat ; it has no pecu- 

 liar constitutional characteristics by which it may be in any way 

 distinguished from wheat cultivated in this country ; it is not 

 essentially different from the fine wheat which Prince Albert sent 

 to the Exhibition, or from others which we grow or sell. Its 

 quality is owing to local conditions, that is to say, to the peculiar 

 temperature, the brilliant light, the soil, and those other circum- 

 stances which characterise the climate of South Australia in which 

 it is produced, and therefore there would be no advantage gained 

 by introducing this wheat for the purpose of sowing it here. Its 

 value consists in what it is in South Australia, not in what it 

 would become in England. In reality, the experiment of growing 

 such corn has been tried. I myself obtained it some years since 

 for the purpose of experiment, and the result was a very inferior 

 description of corn, by no means so good as the kinds generally 

 cultivated with us. And Messrs Heath and Burrows, in a letter 

 which I have received from them this morning, make the same 

 remark. They say, " For seed purposes it has been found not at 

 all to answer in England ; the crop therefrom being ugly, coarse, 

 and bearded." The truth is, as was just observed, the peculiari- 

 ties of South Australian wheat are not constitutional, but are de- 

 rived from climate and soil. It appears, therefore, that wheat 

 may be affected by climate, independently of its constitutional 



