/ 680 
WHEAT. 
3; and about half an acre in No. 5: so that of the | reds, and on the following Wednesday and Thursday 
white wheats Nos. 2, 3, 4, and 6, and of the reds, 
No. 4, were the only wheats which stood the winter 
for crop as first planted. On the 2d of April I find 
that the wheats on the whole were very bad; but 
from the 25th of March until the 23d of April, not 
sufficient rain fell at King’s Weston to wet the 
ground, and at this period the wheats began to mend; 
their improvement being gradual, but extraordinary. 
I was absent from home during the blooming, but 
was informed by my farming-man that very little dif- 
ference was perceptible between the flowering of the 
whites, and that the reds came into bloom from a 
week to ten days after the whites. On my return 
from London at the end of the first week in July, I 
found the general improvement still progressing; the 
tillering, considering the nature of the soil, had been 
extraordinary, and the ears were upright and full: I 
therefore carried out the experiment as far as was 
practicable, selecting 16 perches from each variety, 
cutting it with the scythe, and accurately weighing 
the grain and straw. Onthe 2d of August I marked 
out, as nearly as my eye could enable me to judge, 
16 perches of average equal growth and occupying | 
relatively similar positions in the field, from Nos. 2, | 
3, 4, 5, and 6, white; and from Nos. 1, 2, 4, and 5 
| red, similar quantities, but, excepting No. 4, not in 
relative situations to the white wheats; yet still, had 
| the season been generally favourable, such 16 perches 
_ as I estimated would have been fair samples of the 
produce of these wheats. The white wheats, how- 
ever, throughout appeared better suited to my land 
than the reds; and the result of the experiment has 
convinced me that, in soil and climate similar to that 
on and in which I have made the trial, the growth 
of the former should be encouraged rather than the 
latter. Before reaping, the appearance of the differ- 
ent wheats was as follows:—Whites, No. 2, third; 
No. 3, fourth; No. 4, first; No. 5, third; No. 6, 
second: Reds, No. 1, third; No. 2, second; No 4, 
first; No. 5, fourth. For the reason before speci- 
fied, viz. the almost total destruction of the plant 
of No. 3, no portion ef that wheat was measured off 
for the experiment. On Friday the 5th of August I 
cut with the scythe the whites, on the Monday the 
carted the respective lots. The subjoined Table 
will show the results of the produce of wheat- 
straw and flour per acre of each kind, estimated from 
the product of 16 perches of each. I conceive, how- 
ever, that, were the whole of the produce of each 
sort to be thrashed out, none of the crops would 
come up to this average; but the appearances of 
Nos. 4 and 6 white, and No. 4 red, were generally 
good, and the tabular results would not at most give 
2 or 3 bushels per acre above their respective pro- 
duce. Every attempt, however, as far as the season 
permitted, has been made to carry out the experi- 
ment with perfect fairness. I consider for the bulk 
of straw the yield of grain was extraordinary, and 
the samples of wheat of each kind can scarcely be 
surpassed, subjected as they were merely to the usual 
dressing. The miller declared that he had never 
ground better flour; but stated that, if he had any 
preference, he should give it to No. 2 white, and No. 
l red. In the process of converting the flour into 
bread, better than which I never have tasted, the 
plan recommended by Colonel Le Couteur was adopt- 
ed, viz. ‘18 lbs. of the flour of each sort was placed 
to rise or sponge over-night with 3 a pint of yeast 
and 2 quarts of water. At nine o’clock the next 
morning 4 oz. of fine salt were added, together with 
as much water, milk warm, as each kind would im- 
bibe to fit it for the oven, which was well worked 
up, drawn up (as it were) into strings to expose it to 
the air as much as possible in order to render it light, 
left to rise for 20 minutes, or } an hour, baked and 
weighed next morning.’ Thesubjoined tabular state- 
ment will, I think, prove the necessity of carrying 
out all our experiments to the utmost, as otherwise 
great danger will arise of discarding valuable sorts, 
merely from their being in one or two instances less 
productive than others, which may be accounted for 
from the chances of the season, or other disturbing, 
but not sufficiently investigated, causes. Of the 
white breads No. 6 was the whitest, No. 4 the 
closest, and No. 2 the lightest; of the brown, or 
rather that made from the reds, No. 5 was the whitest 
and lightest; the others were much the same in co- 
lour and quality. 
Noahers ; Produce per Acre, j Weight of best | Weight of | Quantity of | Quantity of 
of Weight per} estimated from 16 | Weight of Straw Seconds Flour Gurgeons Water im- | Bread from 
Wheats. Bushel. perches, cut, weigh- | per Acre, simi- | per Acre, esti- | and bran, | bibed by 18 lbs. of 
ed, and thrashed by | larly estimated. | mated from 2 | do, do. each sort in| Flour, of 
hand. bushels of each. working up. | each sort. 
Head, Tail. i iets) ea Mos 
Ibs. 02z. Bush. Ibs. lbs. S ie) fy ws Ibs. lbs. Qts. pints.| lbs. oz. 
W. 2 62 21 32 60 44 1 8 O 24 1707 389 2 Of MAS) 17 
W. 3 63 «0 32 Q@ 40 3h OO © 1699 328 1 14 24 14 
W. 4 62).).8 43 24 40 PAY MO tab 2229 499 2 Of 230 EA, 
W. 5 627075 SA SZ OD er Omnonel() 1683 489 2) NORPiiaee faye oh 
W. 6 63 11 52 7 438 ee WO. 1700 369 2 04 Za 10 
avy al 64 0 28. 389 . 624 8 223 1588 548 1 14 3 14 
end G2b 0 39) «71/760. Te ies PID 1894 459 1 14 24 0 
R. 4 62 5 BY.) Pay) aX 14 114 1646 548 1 14 24 8 
R. 5 6O2y nil 31 42 44} L 4, Q,12 1583 380 2 0 25004 
| It will be perceived that No. 4 white was by far the 
most productive of the trial wheats; and as Mr. Jo- 
nas, when he presented this prolific seedling to me, 
sent me an account of its origin, I think I cannot do 
better than insert an extract from his letter, as it 
may encourage farmers, should they accidentally dis- 
cover amongst their crops ears of corn of extraordi- 
mary productiveness, dissimilar to the bulk of the 
crop, and of apparently new habits, to preserve and 
cultivate such more generally than they do at pre- 
sent, for the purpose of raising valuable varieties. 
Mr. Jonas thus wrote in September, 1841:—‘ You 
will oblige me by accepting 3 bushels of white wheat, 
which I have raised from a single ear, and by growing 
it side by side with the trial-wheats of Liverpool. 
I have no fear of the result; but should the Liver- 
pool selected wheats be more prolific and valuable 
than mine, I shall be highly gratified, as I should 
cease growing the sort I have thus raised. and have 
some of that which was better. I would thank you 
not to sow this wheat before the latter part of Octo- 
ber, or the beginning of November, as it is inclined 
to tiller early. I send you the exact quantities grown 
each year from this single ear, and I do so that you 
