1839-1845-] 
ALLOTMENTS AT /SLIP. 
163 
benefit on many who, but for his intervention, would have 
had no opportunity of obtaining information while there 
was still time to turn it to practical use. 
As potato disease still exists in a more or less degree, 
Buckland’s practical advice for its cure may still be interest¬ 
ing. He says :— 
“ It is important that all leaves and stems should be 
burnt, in order to destroy the spawn of the fungi. For 
next year’s planting, small and sound tubers should be 
selected, and planted whole; or, if cut, the select parts 
should be shaken in a sieve with quicklime ; care should 
also be taken to keep those selected for seed dry.” 
In the early part of 1846, as soon as he was established 
at the Deanery of Westminster, he went down to Islip and 
prospected there for ground suitable for allotments. He 
chose a piece of land on the top of the hill, overlooking 
a moor, and well exposed to the sun. This ground was 
converted, by permission of the Duke of Marlborough, 
to whom it belonged, into allotments, one of which 
Buckiand rented himself in order to experiment upon 
growing different sorts of wheat and barley. Greatly to 
the delight of the tenant and of his whole family, a 
splendid crop of red-coloured wheat, grown from Egyptian 
seed, came up, in spite of the bad season, with well- 
filled ear and tall erect stem, rustling golden red 1 in 
the summer sunshine, a magnificent advertisement to the 
Islip labourers of what the earth would grow with care and 
trouble. At this time any ray of hope that could be held 
1 Just the colour of the African gold tribute in the gem room of the 
British Museum. 
