108 
of a fpeéies of wheat which is advertifed 
tinder the name of Egyptian or Prolific 
Wheat. Ihave minuted down a few ob- 
fervations, the refult of my own experi- 
ence, on the nature and cultivation of this 
grain. 
The fitft year, on three acres of moift 
loam, which had been previoufly fallowed, 
fine bufhels of feed produced nine quar- 
ters of wheat. In the fame field, after a 
fimilar preparation, the fame proportion of 
white wheat, fown at the fame time, pro= 
duced three quarters, four buthels per 
acre. fn both cafes the fallow was drefled 
with about one hundred bubhels of lime 
per acre at 7d. per buthei delivered. 
Four bufhels of the Egyptian wheat, 
thoughwWeighing four pounds more than the 
fame quantity of white wheat, yet produced 
twelve pounds lefs of flour, the bran 
being coarfer and heavier. 
After the month of May the. growth 
was more rapid than that of common 
wheat, on- which account, I fhould fup- 
pofe, it might be fown with advantage in 
{pring The enfuing fpring will prefent 
a fair opportunity for the trial. ~The 
ftraw fo nearly refembles a reed, that it has 
been called reed-wheat. Being heavy and 
tough, it is cut with difficulty, on which 
account the yeapers required an extraordi- 
nary price. 
It is excellent for thatching, and I have 
employed it for this purpofe on a large 
hay-barn. The truffes, on account of their 
weight, would appear fo fimall that the 
ftraw would not be faleable in the Lon: 
don market. The ears are bearded like 
the cone wheat, but in fliape refemble the 
fquare wheat or rivets. The length of 
the ftraw and weight of the ear make it 
liable to lodge. 
On expofing it to fale, I found the mil- 
Jers not inclined to purchafe it. They 
complain that it is of too horny a nature ; 
that it grinds hard, and obliges them to fet 
their ftones too clofe. The flour is coarfer 
and darker than that of the common 
wheat. A miller who purchafed fome was 
eharged by his cuftomers with grinding 
rivets. Great part of the crop feld at a 
price but little above that of good barley. 
As the crop, though apparently thin on 
the ground, had yielded three quarters per 
acre, I entertained hopes that the cultiva- 
tion might anfwer, even at the price of 
barley, if on lighter land, and a warmer 
foil, I could fecurealarger produce. With 
this view, therefore, the following year I 
fowed, on a lighter Joam, two acres with 
this wheat, and the remaining fix acres of 
the ficld with the common red wheat; 
Dr. Wilkinfon on Egyptian Wheat. 
. (March I, 
the whole on aclover ley, The produce 
of the red wheat was three quarters per 
acre, but of the Egyptian not above two 
quarters per acre; and I found great dif- 
ficulty in difpeting of it even at the price 
of barley. 
I conclude, therefore, that this wheat 
will not anfwer in this country, where 
wheat of a fuperior quality can be culti- 
vated to advantage, unlefs it can be intro- 
duced as fpring-corn. . 
Sirice writing the above, I have met 
with an account of this grain having: 
been fown in fpring as Egyptian or Sibe« 
rian barley, under which name it was firft 
introduced into this country in the year 
1767. I am Sir, your’s, &c. 
Feb. 10,1801. A.WiLxkinson, M.D. 
White Webb Farm, Enfield Chace. : 
Eee 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
EW of your ** Original Communi- 
cations’’ have, I believe, been more 
generally acceptable to the bulk of your 
readers than the Views of Society and Man- 
ners in fome of our confiderable commer- 
cial and manufacturing towns, which have, 
from time to time, appeared in your ufe-" 
ful mifcellany. T.S. N. of Norwich has 
been followed up with fuch good fuccefs 
by your feveral correfpondents in Briftol, 
Exetes, Bolton, Liverpool, and Sunderland, 
that many others, I truft, have been in- 
duced by their example to form a purpofe 
of contributing to the entertainment of 
your readers, by furnifhing fimilar accounts 
of the places of their refpeétive refidence. 
Among the reft, a correfpondent, whofe 
communications on other fubjeéts have 
frequently been indulged with an early in- 
fertion, has for fome time been defirous 
of foliciting your favourable acceptance 
of a general view of the moft important 
circumftances conneéted with the town and 
trade of Newcaftle-upon-Tyne. Various 
circumftances have prevented him from 
completing his defign fo foon as he could 
have wifhed; chiefly the difficulty of pro- 
curing information uponfome fubjectswhich 
he wifhed toenlarge. It was his intention 
to have given a fketch, firft, of the fitua- 
tion and general appearance of the town, 
its public buildings, inftitutions, &c. fe- 
condly, of its commerce, marufactures, 
&c. thirdly, of the ftate of fociety and 
manners, and of religious and political 
parties; and to have offered, fourthly, fome 
confiderations refpeting its capability of 
improvement, and the obftacles which ex- 
ift to its more rapid progrefSin this refpect, 
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