Management of Wheat, 



71 



5. The varieties of Seed and the change of Seed, 



The variety of wheat must be suited to the soil and climate ; 

 and the knowledge of the varieties best suited to a particular soil 

 can only be obtained from the experience of the farmers who cul- 

 tivate that soil. It is, however, bad judgment to be so far pre- 

 judiced in favour of one sort as to cultivate it to the exclusion of 

 all others. The best kinds deteriorate in course of time : new 

 varieties are constantly being introduced/ some of which would in 

 all probability be found superior to the old. 



More wheat is now produced per acre, by greater attention 

 being paid in choosing the most prolific kinds. It should, how- 

 ever, be borne in mind that the most prolific are also very fre- 

 quently of a coarse quality, and commonly lose in price what they 

 gain in quantity. At the same time it is admitted by those who 

 have put the question to a test, that the most productive are often 

 the most advantageous to the grower. Instances, indeed, have 

 occasionally occurred where heavy white wheat of the finest qua- 

 lity has been tried by the side of a coarser description, and has 

 equalled it in quantity ; but this must be considered an exception 

 to the rule, and not the rule itself. 



On rich soils, where an abundance of straw is produced, short 

 and stifF-strawed wheat yields the best crop, as the weak and long- 

 strawed wheat is liable to be spoiled by being laid. Such varieties 

 as Spalding's Prolific and Piper's Thickset are suitable for rich 

 land. On very productive wheat-land in Norfolk, Piper's Thickset 

 produced such abundant crops, that on its introduction into that 

 county it at once obtained the name of Protection Wheat. On 

 the contrary, short-strawed wheats like Piper's Thickset are very 

 inferior to long-strawed wheat on land that yields a light crop. 

 Mixed wheat (red and white) is sown in some parts of the country, 

 care being taken to select two sorts that ripen at the same time. 

 It is considered that two varieties are more likely to produce a 

 certain crop than one alone ; for undoubtedly it frequently occurs 

 that one kind produces the heaviest crop one year, and another 

 the next ; and when equal portions of red and white wheats are 

 sown together, sometimes the white and sometimes the red pre- 

 dominates in the sample that is produced. It is well known that 

 a mixture of red and white wheats commands a higher price in 

 the market than red alone. 



During the last few years many new sorts of wheat have been 

 introduced, though some are but new names for varieties long well 

 known. Some are noted for the earliness of their growth,— among 

 these are the Bellevue Talavera, Mexican Vicario, and the bearded 

 April wheat, which are all recommended for spring-sowing ; but 

 it has been confidently asserted, from observation, that the two 



