( 148 ) 



II. — On a Productive Variety of Wheat. By Robert Blyth 

 Harvey, Esq. 



To the Secretary. 



Dear Sir, 



I DEFERRED Sending you a specimen of my wheat until I had threshed 

 the crop, and could inform you of the produce. It is not, as I believe, 

 a new variety, but an old stock improved by careful cultivation ; the 

 circumstances attending which are somewhat singular. 



About four years since, a neighbouring farmer discovered a single 

 blade of wheat in his garden, which he carefully tended, but how it 

 came there he has no knowledge. It might have been casually dropped 

 by some person on the premises, or brought there by birds. The pro- 

 duce was enormous. I dare not trust my memory with the number of 

 ears, or the kernels in them, but the total quantity was greater than I 

 ever before heard of. Last year I procured 8 pecks of him, 2 of which 

 I mixed with 5 or 6 others of the most approved varieties in this 

 district ; but the ears of this were larger and better filled, and the 

 straw longer and stiffer than any of the others : the remaining 6 pecks 



1 had dibbled, on Ij acre of land (clover-stubble), by the side of 



2 acres of Whitington and 2 acres of another white wheat, all at the 

 same rate of seed, — viz. 4 pecks per acre. The red wheat was on the 

 best land in the field, and the Whitington on the worst ; and I should 

 have expected, with the same wheat, 4 bushels per acre more where the 

 red wheat grew : the produce of it however exceeded either of the others 

 by more than 12 bushels per acre. It did not suffer in the least from 

 disease; whilst both the others were slightly mildewed, and very much 

 affected by the red gum : neither was it rootfallen or broken down by 

 the wind, like the others. The produce of the 1 J acre was 9 qrs. 5 bus. 

 of best wheat, and nearly 3 bushels of dross. Had it not been dressed 

 rather higher than usual for seed, it would have exceeded 10 quarters ! 

 The above is all the information I can give you about the wheat, which 

 has no name : perhaps Colonel Le Couteur, who I observe is one of the 

 curators of your Wheat Museum, may know its species, and name it 

 accordingly. It most approaches in character, both of berry and straw, 

 to what is here called the Copdock Red ; originally, I believe, an Essex 

 wheat. 



Yours faithfully, 



Robert B. Harvey. 



HarlestoTiy Norfolk, 

 Oct. Uth, 1840. 



III. — On the Marquis ofTweeddales Tile-mahing Machine. 

 By James Hunt, Esq. 



The machine invented by the Marquis of Tweeddale is on the sim- 

 plest construction, and may be descril3ed as follows : — A trough is made 

 at the head of the machinery of the exact width of the intended tile. 

 Into this the clay is placed by a workman, and is drawn through two 



