WHEAT. 
The weight of the straw of wheat crops is 
usually estimated at about double that of the 
grain; but as straw in the rick is commonly 
somewhat moist, and is usually weighed in a 
somewhat erroneous manner, this estimate seems 
to be a good deal above the truth. Messrs. 
‘Way and Ogston, by methods of the nicest care,. 
ascertained the proportions between the straw, 
the chaff, and the grain of nearly 50 specimens 
in 1846, and at the same time determined the 
specific gravity of the grain, ascertained the 
quantity of constitutional water and of ash, re- 
solved the ash into its constituents, and demon- 
strated the kinds and proportions of mineral 
697 
matter which must be restored to the soil in 
order to compensate for what the wheat takes 
away; and, in all these respects, their report, 
both in its aggregate bearing upon the average of 
wheat crops, and in its individual details respect- 
ing the particular varieties of the wheats which 
were experimented on, and respecting the soils 
on which the several specimens grew, is so valu- 
able that we should be inexcusable if we did not 
present a large abstract of it to our readers. 
‘** The following table exhibits the weight of 
straw and chaff in reference to grain, in 11 speci- 
mens of wheat from the farm of Cirencester College, 
the grain being reckoned as 1000 :— 
No. of Length Weight Weight Weight of 
Speci- Variety of Specimen. Soil. of of of Straw and 
men, Straw. Straw. Chaff. Chaff 
Inches 
1 Hopeton, Stonebrash and clay, 36 1107-2 204:3 1511°5 
2 Hopeton, Stonebrash, : : 38 986°8 206-1 1192-9 
3 April Wheat, ~ Stonebrash, . 28 996°8 278:5 1275°3 
4 Spring Wheat, Calcareous clay, . 34 962-9 219-0 1181-9 
5 Bristol Red, Brash and clay, 38 955°8 216-0 1171-0 
6 Clover’s Red, Stonebrash, 40 978°1 - 208°4 1186°5 
7 Red-Chaff Dantzic, Brash and clay, 38 1013-2 184-6 1197-8 
8 Piper’s Thickset, Ditto, 29 928-0 173°0 1101:0 
9 White Chaff, Ditto, 36 827°3 154°7 982°0 
10 Hopeton, Ditto, 40 1163°3 194:3 1355-0 
11 Spalding, Stonebrash, 38 988°5 222°6 1211:0 
| ! 
With the exception of two specimens, we do not : For the straw, 991-3 
observe any very great dissimilarity in the numbers NC Haltts 205°6 
here given—we allude to April wheat (No. 3) and 
white-chaff wheat (No. 9). In the first, which is a Straw and chaff, 1196°9 
bearded wheat, the chaff, including the awn, is ne- 
cessarily high; in the white-chaff wheat, the straw 
and chaff are both very low. In taking the mean 
of the 11 wheats, the deviation in these two speci- 
mens is of little importance, as it occurs in opposite 
senses, the one destroying the effect of the other. 
The mean weight referred to grain as 1000 is— 
Mean length of the straw, 36 inches. 
‘* We may next collect in a table the results of 
an estimation on five specimens of Hopeton wheat 
from Mr. Morton, of Whitfield Example Farm :— 
No. of | Length Weight : Weight Weight of 
Speci- Variety. Soil. of of of Straw and 
men Straw Straw Chaff. Chaff. 
Inches, 
38 Hopeton, Gritty silicious sand, 38 926°9 148°3 1075-2 
39 Ditto, Stiff clay, 43 1009-0 15671 1165°1 
40 Ditto, . Sandy, 6 42 1066:0 154-1 1220- 
41 Ditto, Clay, 6 45 1246-0 174:6 1420°6 
42 Ditto, . Silicious sand, 44 1167:0 185°3 1352°3 
The mean of these results will be found to be— 
For the straw, 3 4 1083° 
summechatt., 1 its ; 163°6 
For the straw and chaff, 1246°6 
Mean length of the straw, 42:4 inches. 
In these specimens the mean length of the straw and 
its weight in proportion to the grain are both greater 
No. of | Length Weight Weight Weight of 
Speci- Variety. 0 of — of Straw and 
men Straw. Straw. Chaff. Chaff. 
Inches. 
43 Red-Straw White, Silicious sandy loam, . AT 1050-0 178°3 1228°3 
44 Ditto, . : Ditto, ; 6 3 45 1327-0 203°2 1530-2 
45 Ditto, Calcareous, brashy, and shallow, 42° 852°5 1922 1044-7 
46 Ditto, . Clay loam, Seas : 46 1123:0 205°4 1328°4 
AT Ditto, ae and silicious sand | 49 | 4313-0 | 197-0 | 1510-0 
48 Ditto, . Calcareous clay, 36 981:6 180-4. 1162-0 
49 Ditto, Adhesive loam, 52 1165-0 240° 1405°5 
than in those of the other series from the College 
farm: this is evidently due in a great measure to the 
method of collecting the crops, Mr. Morton’s all 
being mown, and the others, with two exceptions, 
reaped. 
The next table shows the proportion of grain, 
straw, and chaff, in 7 specimens of red-straw white 
wheat from Mr. Morton. 
¢ 
