WHEAT AND CHESS. 
Tn March, 1857, Benj. Hodge, Esq., of Buffalo, “offered a pre¬ 
mium of $100 to the person who shall demonstrate that wheat 
turns to chess. The premium to be awarded under the supervi¬ 
sion of the New York State Agricultural Society, under such 
rules and regulations as a committee appointed by the Society 
shall prescribe.” 
We received a letter, 20th July, from Samuel Davison, a 
respectable farmer of Greece, Monroe Co., saying “ that on the 
10th of March last, he commenced an experiment on wheat, to 
produce chess therefrom; and the experiment has succeeded ; 
and requesting to have a committee appointed to examine the 
wheat growing, to test the truth that wheat turns to chess.” He 
also requested that the committee for next year be appointed to 
try the experiment under his direction, &c.; and he claims the 
premium offered, &c. 
As here was a direct offer and an acceptance, it was thought 
advisable to have a committee selected, and an examination and 
thorough trial had. J. J. Thomas, of Cayuga; Prof. C. Dewey and 
L. B. Langworthy, Esq., of Rochester, were selected as the com¬ 
mittee. 
The committee met at the office of the Rural New Yorker, in 
Rochester, on the 5th of August; and Mr. Davison was present 
with the wheat and chess which he had grown. The committee, 
after obtaining all the information from Mr. Davison, as to the 
manner of preparing the ground and managing the same after 
the wheat was sown, proceeded to separate and examine the 
stalks presented; but after a careful examination under the 
microscope, they were unable to find any chess growing from the 
wheat; but as the grain and husks were so much decayed, noth¬ 
ing satisfactory could be determined. A report will be presented 
of the whole examination, by the committee. The committee, as 
requested by Mr. Hodge, drew up regulations for a trial hereafter, 
which was satisfactory to Mr. Davison; and persons will be 
