138 



HOCKINGS' GARDEN MANUAL, 



the crop from this was gathered ripe, and a row of 

 selected seed again sown, the crop from which, much 

 retarded by heavy rain and floods, ripened and was 

 gathered on the 31st May. Three crops in succession 

 in 278 days. 



The American pop corn, Darling's early sugar corn, 

 and Burr's large sugar corn — all much used in America 

 for culinary purposes — ripen here in ninety days. 



WHEAT. 



Advantages of selecting seed. 



The very satisfactory results which have always fol- 

 lowed the judicious selection of both seeds and animals 

 fur the purpose of propagation, when improvement of 

 the original stock was desired, have left the ques- 

 tion beyond dispute ; but few persons attempt to 

 reduce it to practice on their own farms, and those who 

 do seldom publish the particulars of their success. 



The experiments of Mr. Hallett, of Essex, England, 

 are probably as interesting and instinctive as could be 

 desired for an illustration. 



Space will not allow a detailed statement of his mode 

 of cultivation, but the result has been very striking : 

 he now has wheat which produces ears eight and a-half 

 inches long, and having up one side eighteen ranks of 

 spikelets of grains. The seed is recommended to be 

 drilled in at the rate of only four bushels to ten acres. 

 The following extract will explain the mode of selec- 

 tion adopted for " Hallett s Pedigree Nursery Wheat :" 



"In every plant of wheat, barley, or oats there is 

 always one best ear, and in every ear there is always 

 one best grain, which is that one found at the following 

 harvest to produce the best plant, all the grains having 

 been planted in competition with each other. The 

 best of all the competing plants of any ' family ' of a 

 cereal is ascertained by the most studious comparison 



