666 
tions,—adding, however, a great deal of import- 
ant information from entirely different sources. 
Common white wheat is the beardless winter 
wheat, with whitish spikes and light-coloured 
grain, cultivated in any district where one or 
more of the superior or very distinct varieties of 
winter wheat have not yet come into general use. 
It does not constitute any one distinct variety, 
but rather comprises an almost countless number 
of varieties and subvarieties of white wheats, not 
even excluding the velvet-eared and some of the 
bearded sorts. The common white wheats of 
East Lothian and the Carse of Gowrie, according 
to specimens preserved in the Highland Society’s 
Museum at Edinburgh, weigh 63 lb. per bushel; 
the common white wheat of Morayshire, accord- 
ing to a specimen preserved in the same place, 
weighs 624 lb. per bushel; and a common white 
wheat of Scotland, called in general terms 
‘Scotch white,’ yielded, in a well-conducted com- 
parative experiment reported in the Royal Agri- 
cultural Society’s Journal, 24 cwt. 62 lb. per 
acre. 
Hunter’s wheat was first discovered by the 
late Mr. Hunter of Tynefield, East-Lothian, grow- 
ing on afield in Coldingham Moor, Berwickshire ; 
and during the last 40 or 45 years, it has been 
very extensively cultivated, and held in very 
high esteem, throughout a large portion of the 
south-east of Scotland. Its ear is medium-sized, 
thick, tapering a little toward the point, and 
slightly pendant to one side; and its grain is 
rather large, elongated, tapering very slightly 
towards the extremity, plump, and of an uni- 
form dull white or very light brownish colour 
throughout. Specimens of this variety have 
been found to weigh from 633 to 653 pounds per 
bushel, and to yield 52 quarters per acre. A 
Hunter’s wheat is reported on in some recent 
English comparative experiments; but it must 
either be a totally different wheat from the 
Scotch Hunter’s, or have been obtained from 
very deteriorated sources of seed; for, in these 
experiments, it gave exceedingly unsatisfactory 
results. 
Mungoswells wheat is the produce of a few 
ears presenting a superior appearance, which 
Mr. Patrick Shirreff, Mungoswells, East-Lothian, 
discovered ina field about 20 years ago. It is 
generally accounted a few days earlier, and tillers 
more freely in spring, than Hunter’s wheat; and 
it is also said by some cultivators of it, but denied 
by others, to be more prolific. In sample, it so very 
much resembles Hunter’s, that the two have 
often been mistaken for each other by dealers. 
The Uxbridge wheat originated in the neigh- 
bourhood of Uxbridge in Middlesex. Its ear is 
large, very compact, tapering very little towards 
the point, and pendant a good deal to one side; 
and its grain is rather small, short, plump, and 
of a very white colour, and forms a beautiful 
sample, and is preferred by the London millers to 
the grain of any other variety. “From the trials 
which have been made of the Uxbridge wheat in 
this country,” says Mr. Lawson, “it appears to 
be perfectly suited to our climate, very prolific, 
and deserving of attention from cultivators. It 
may be considered two or three days later in 
ripening than the Mungoswells wheat.” 
Chiddam or Chidham wheat originated in the 
south of England, and was introduced about 15 
years ago to Scotland. Itis a prolific variety, 
and a free grower, and tillers freely in spring. 
Its grain is slightly more elongated than that of 
Uxbridge wheat, rather thinner in skin, and more 
transparent or flinty like; and its fiour formsa 
lighter bread, but darker coloured and more open 
than that of some of the other most esteemed 
white wheats. The Chiddam wheat is well- 
known and much appreciated in some of the 
best agricultural districts of England, and has 
been a favourite subject in some recent compa- 
rative experiments; yet, notwithstanding its 
admitted excellence and prolificity, it has been 
pronounced by some good judges very little or 
not at all superior to the common white wheats 
of the districts in which it is best known. Its 
average yield is probably about 65; pounds per 
bushel. 
White Essex wheat resembles the Uxbridge 
wheat in its ears, and Hunter’s or Mungoswells 
in the size and shape of its grains; but differs 
from them in being of a whiter colour, more 
transparent, and thinner skinned. It yields about 
65 pounds per bushel; and is much esteemed by 
the English millers. It ripens about four days 
later than Hunter’s wheat. Its straw is consi- 
derably longer than that of any of the varieties 
hitherto mentioned. 
Jeffray wheat is shorter in straw than Hun- 
ter’s wheat, and five or six days longer in ar- 
riving at maturity; and its ear and grain are 
smaller, and taper more toward the point. 
Gregorian wheat is hardy, and tillers well in 
spring, and is deservedly esteemed. Its straw is 
more stiff and upright than that of Hunter’s or | 
Mungoswells wheats; its ear is longer and less 
bent to a side; its spikelets are more remote; 
and its grains are shorter, rather lighter in co- 
lour, and more transparent. 
The white golden drop wheat differs from most 
of the common eared wheats, and resembles the 
turgid wheats in the circumstance of having gen- 
erally four grains on each spikelet; but it re- 
sembles most common eared wheats, and differs 
from the turgid wheats, in the aggregate of its 
other characters. Its appearance, whether as a 
plant or as a grain, is neither coarse nor strong ; 
its straw is rather above the average length ; its 
ears are a good deal pendant; its awns scarcely 
constitute a beard, and appear only toward the 
point of the spike, and are seldom longer than 
the florets; its chaff has a dull white or very 
light brown colour; and its grain is large sized, 
of a light brownish yellow or copper colour, and 
of medium quality. This variety was discovered 
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