The increasing quantity of agricultural produce consumed in this
country makes it desirable that the cultivation of the land should
be carried to the highest point consistent with profit; and the
increasing scarcity of agricultural labourers will shortly render
it difficult for the farmers in some districts to gather in their
crops. It therefore becomes increasingly desirable that every
mechanical contrivance which will facilitate their doing so should
be made as perfect as possible; and also that the crops themselves
should be so cultivated as to make these mechanical aids to work
to the greatest advantage.
But it has been a difficult matter (at least in the wet climate of
Lancashire) to ascertain how far it is prudent to manure for
wheat, for in unfavourable seasons the plant runs so much to straw
that it is liable to lodge, and become mildewed; in which cases
the manure is not only wasted, but becomes positively injurious,
as appears to be the case in the South of England this year, and
as was also the case in the North in 1845, when every shilling
expended in manuring the wheat crops of that year made the crop at
least a shilling worse than if no manure had been applied.
But if we could find a wheat so short in the straw that it would
bear heavy manuring without being lodged, wheat-growing would be a
far less hazardous occupation than it is at present, and we might
confidently calculate on a far greater production than we can now.
The following appear to me to be some of the advantages of growing
a short-strawed wheat:--
1st. It will bear highly manuring without lodging, and with much
less liability to mildew, than a long-strawed wheat.
2nd. The proportion of grain to straw is greater in short than in
long-strawed wheat.
3rd. As it very rarely lodges, it will be far better suited to the
reaping-machine than a long-strawed wheat; and no doubt other
advantages will occur to the minds of experienced agriculturists.
When making these assertions I ought to state that my experience
of wheat-growing does not extend beyond the counties of York and
Lancaster, but from what I can learn of the agriculture of more
southerly districts, I fancy these opinions of mine will be found
correct even there. I may be asked to prove my assertion, and I
will endeavour to do so.
I have been experimenting on the growth of wheat for the last ten
or eleven years--particularly with reference to the practicability
of doing this on the same land year after year; and that I might
do it in the most satisfactory manner, I have varied my seed-wheat
and my manure very frequently: but I very soon discovered that the
advantages of abundance of manure and high cultivation did not
insure good crops of wheat, inasmuch as in our moist climate, we
had not one summer in five that was favourable, and consequently
the crop was generally lodged, and the straw mildewed. I found
that the time of sowing, and also of applying the manure, were
matters of great importance, and it occurred to me that the remedy
would be--a straw so short, that it would not lodge when highly
manured. I consequently addressed a query to the "Gardener's
Chronicle," asking what was the shortest-strawed variety of wheat
known, and was told that Piper's Thickset was so; I therefore got
some of this sort from Mr. Piper, which I have cultivated since
1847. It is a coarse red wheat, but the quality has improved with
me every year, and this season _being the third successive crop on
the same land_, I have nearly eight quarters to the statute acre
from this variety.
2. The proportion of wheat in Piper's Thickset is 38 per cent. of
the gross weight of the crop; in the Hopetown wheat (I speak of my
own crops only), 34 per cent.
3. Not having seen a reaping-machine, it may seem absurd in me to
say that short-strawed wheat is better adapted to it than long-
strawed; but every report of the working of these machines goes to
show that, so far, they are not well adapted to the cutting of
laid corn; therefore a variety that always stands upright will be
much better suited to the working of them.
I have been trying for the last six years to obtain (by cross-
breeding) a wheat of good quality, and with a straw shorter than
Piper's, but hitherto with indifferent success; but, thanks to the
kindness of Messrs. Brownells, of Liverpool, who furnished me with
many samples of Chilian wheat about three years ago, I have now
got varieties much shorter in the straw than Piper's, and some
which appear to be of much better quality, but these will require
to be tested for a year or two before I can speak decisively about
them. The Chilian varieties are very difficult to acclimatize. The
original samples were beautiful white wheats, very much resembling
the Australian, but when grown in Lancashire they resemble rye
more than wheat, and three years' sowing has not much improved
them. It has, however, enabled me to obtain crosses which seem
better adapted to the soil and climate, and so short in the straw
that the highest manuring produces no tendency to lodge.
If we could obtain a variety of wheat of good quality, which,
instead of two tons of straw and one of wheat to the acre,
produced a ton and a half of each, it might be profitably
cultivated, and the differences in the chemical composition of
grain and straw are not so very great as to make me despair of
this being done some time or other. It may be asked, Where can a
short-strawed wheat of good quality be procured? To this I am
afraid the reply will be, Nowhere at present. But can none of our
expert manipulators, who rejoice exceedingly when they cross-breed
a geranium or a fuchsia, turn their attention to the cross-breeding
of wheat? Cannot the Royal Agricultural Society offer a premium
for a short-strawed wheat of good quality? Do none of the great
agriculturists themselves see how desirable such a wheat would be
for the agriculture of this country? Apparently not; for with the
exception of Mr. Raynbird, of Hampshire, I am not aware of one
scientific operator who is endeavouring to produce such a wheat.
My own attempts at cross-breeding are such as may be tried by
anyone who has sufficient perseverance, and (with one or two
exceptions, of doubtful success) have been confined to sowing the
different varieties I wished to cross in contiguous drills, and
then sowing the produce of these. At the second harvest I
carefully select such ears as differ from both varieties, and at
the same time seem by their quality of grain and the shortness of
their straw to be the best suited to my wishes. It has been, no
doubt, to the accidental contact of distinct varieties that we owe
the numerous kinds now known to agriculturists, and which differ
from each other in colour, quality, yield, and comparative value
in the various districts in which they are grown.
Fully sensible of my inability to do justice to this important
subject, I yet hope (if you do me the honour to publish my letter)
that my remarks may induce scientific men to consider it; for it
appears unaccountable to me that hitherto they seem to have
thought it unworthy of their attention.
P.S.--There is still time to try the experiment during the present
season. If any gentleman wishes to try the short-strawed Chilian
wheat, I shall be glad to give him a sample of it for the purpose
of cross-breeding. Samples were sent to Mr. H. Briggs, Mr.
Raynbird, and Mr. Stevenson, Stockport.
* * * * *
_January 27th_, 1848.