_Mummy Wheat_ (Vol. v., p. 538.).--Having a few grains of mummy wheat in my
possession, I send you the following information concerning it, with a
portion thereof as sample. About three years ago, when in New York, I
purchased, at a sale of the Hon. Judge Furman's effects, a small parcel
which was stated in his own writing to be "Egyptian wheat such as is
mentioned in Scripture, and taken out of a mummy case."
I planted a few of the grains in a flower-pot, and they came up in an
apparently very healthy and flourishing manner, with an appearance similar
to that represented in Scriptural illustrations as Egyptian corn. But after
attaining a height of about two inches, I noticed that it began to grow
sickly, and in a short time afterwards died away. Upon examining the mould
I found some of the grains still there; but they looked as though some very
minute insect had eaten away the entire heart, leaving the shell only. It
seemed to me that such insect must have been within, and not entered the
grain from without.
Lately I have again tried in my garden a few of the grains I had reserved
from the original stock. These, however, have not come up at all; and I
find, on uprooting them, that the same sort of decay had taken place as
occurred in New York. I am not able to forward you any of the husks, for
they are now rotted: but I thought that some of your readers and your last
correspondent might feel interested in knowing other attempts had also been
made to rear mummy wheat.