CHAPTER X.

ON THE TENDENCY OF WHEAT TO DEGENERATE.

THIS term 66 'degenerate," is in common use among farmers, from a want of having duly reflected on the subject, and accepting for truth, the traditions or sayings, which become proverbial from father to son.

If I rightly understand the signification of the term, it should mean, that the wheat, has changed its nature, it has become of an inferior quality, less productive, and less suited to the soil than when originally sown. Now, having shewn the very considerable difference of produce in various varieties,— some producing nearly double what others do; it stands to reason that if a farmer procured, what he used to consider a fine sample, apparently tolerably pure-and that a few grains, of a productive, but coarse sort, were intermixed with it, say for the sake of argument, fifty grains in a bushel, on the average, that this variety produced sixty grains to the ear, with an average of eight tillers to each grain; here would be, four hundred and eighty grains, the produce of one single ear, multiplied by the fifty grains in the bushel, or 24,000 grains in the produce of each bushel of an inferior sort, in the crop, the following

year. The second, or third year, if careful attention were omitted in the selection of the seed, from the original sort meant to be produced, the crop would be thus almost changed, not degenerated: it would be no fault of the superior sort first imported, but wholly the consequence of neglect in not having preserved it pure; for the original sort would remain the same, as regards quality, but diminished in quantity. So it will be in a greater or less proportion, with each of these varieties, that lurk in a good crop, which they deteriorate in proportion, to their inferiority, either, in point of produce of meal, or straw. This is the case, even among the careful selections which I have made, for in the operations of thrashing, winnowing, or preparing corn, by washing, or pickling; with all the care imaginable, corn is of so small bulk, that some stray grains, if several sorts are grown on a farm, will invariably lurk, and get into the most pure crop-this I hold under such circumstances to be almost inevitable, but where only one or two, good, and suitable sorts, are cultivated on a farm, mixtures ought to disappear altogether; and the stock continue pure, as long as proper attention is paid. This should be done by methodical arrangement; first, by seeing the seed corn intended to sow down an acre or two, as future stock for a large farm, carefully selected by hand, if necessary. That sown by a drill machine, with a double distance

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between each sowing of the drill, to enable a careful person, to reach from each side to the middle of the drill, when the wheat is ripening, to cut off any ears foreign to the crop. A guinea expended in extra labour in this manner, would amply repay the farmer, in the future beauty, and produce of his crop.

When the sheaves are tied I further send a person round them, to see if all strangers to the crop are excluded from it.

All this may appear discouraging, but what success is to be obtained in this, or any other profession, (for I do not hesitate to call farming both a science and a profession.) without mental application, added to the "sweat of the brow," in order to learn how to cultivate the soil with proper skill,

A very good farmer in the Lothians, sent me a sample of wheat of his own growth-it had been intended for a white wheat, and was called so, but most of the white grains were ill grown and poor, whereas, a few grains of a red variety, mixed in the sample were very plump and farinaceous, evidently marking that the degenerated or red sort as it probably was considered, was that, which would have ensured a heavy,well ripened, and remunerating crop.

I trust that the growing of seed corn, for particular localities, may become a distinct branch of the Agricultural profession. I do not feel envious of those admirable establishments the nursery, gardens

of the Kingdom, which hourly clothe the face of the country, with new beauties, and refresh it with delicacies-the result of close, and scientific investigation, extracting like bees, sweets from every climate under the Sun, and naturalising them to a soil so foreign to many of their habits-yet I do hope to see, a species of nurseries for wheat, established in all parts of the Empire, where it will be known what sorts of wheat are best suited for its different soils, whether of clay, lime, sand, granite, or other bases.

It must inevitably stand to reason, that the fine white wheat which is grown, on a rich fertile loam, suitably retentive of moisture, can not be the proper sort to be sown on a poor black soil, such as Bagshot heath, which of itself is incapable of retaining, or attracting moisture.

But it will not be denied, that if a red, or coarse variety, equally productive as to quantity, though perhaps less farinaceous, could be grown on such a soil, it would be an end greatly to be desired, and of much national importance.

An observation which I made, leads me to believe, that such will be the result. In a piece of land, which had been ill prepared, and was poor and out of condition, a crop of white wheat had been sown; it scarcely grew three feet in height-but among it, was a plant of fine, tall, rich brown wheat, with a large round,

but rather coarse grain. It proved a highly productive variety. Had I happened to have sown the field, with all such, instead, of having only had twenty bushels per acre, I should probably have reaped forty. Surely the attainment of such results, ought to be a matter of grave enquiry, as a means of increasing the national wealth. It is not my object however, to write a treatise on political economy, but I shall not hesitate to point out, what appears to me to be a legitimate, and certain mode, of augmenting the capital of the Kingdom, by the means of husbandry, now in so depreciated a state.

The importance of the exact adaptation of plants, or their varieties to particular soils, has lately been hinted at, in other terms it is true, by a Medical Professor of great talent, and research; who has traced the origin of the Cholera in India, to improper food, or to the use of ill grown and vitiated rice. There can be no doubt, that if wheat unsuited to a particular soil be sown, the chances are, that it will not be properly ripened, especially if in a moist or northern climate, where September or October weather may catch it; under such circumstances, the crop must be reaped, thrashed out, and perhaps sold at a low rate, at all events some body must eat it, so that an unripe, impure, deteriorated aliment is circulated, to the injury of some portion of society; had the seed been such as suited the soil, the contrary might be ex