The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-02-24

ties, as fly, rust, smut, &c. We do not hear,
as in past times has often, been the case,
that failure has been the result Of any one
or more Of these. The cause seems to be a
general one, working everywhere, and by
no means satisfactorily accounted for. -
Theories are started in this connection
which have thrown, as yet, no light on the
subject that we can perceive. EiTheHYery
pslpable one, and very readily accepted by
oil those who delight in cheap show, OF
scientific principles, is the very. sudden de-
fciency Of those elementary principles OF
the coil that are deemed essential to the
production Of the crop. We do not accept
this explanation readily, knowing how
many things there are in heaven as well as
earth that the mineral philosophers never
dream of. a hoped-for remedy is suggest
ed in new seed and change Of seed-a sug-
gestion worthy Of consideration, one, which
seems to be practical enough in some re-
spects. Yet strange to say, as long as change
Of seed has been universally accepted as
desirable, it has never yet been determined
whether it is better to bring new seed from
q higher or lower latitude, and therefore
there is no definite idea where we are to
get new seeds from, and if there was,
whether it had been subject to the same
evil influences that we wish to get rid Of.
| If we admit without question what has
long been admitted, but should perhaps be
called in question, the general advantage Of
change of seed, there seems to be practi-
cal difficulty beyond that mentioned above
in making the distribution needed. This
arises in the ignorance, Notwithstanding
the many agricultural journals, which pre-
walls in one section as to varieties which
are most successfully grown elsewhere. It
would seem, indeed, that we should expect
the needed help from the department of
agriculture in Washington but if it's gene
raj efforts are to be judged by what has
come under our notice as regards a variety
well known in Maryland, which the de-
partment has for some time been diligently
distributing in small parcels, we may we'll
doubt the usefulness Of its agency. The
Boughton or Tappahannock wheat, raised
from selected seed by Mr.. Boughton, near
Tappahannock, Va, vas distributed years
ago, and became we'll known in Virginia,
Maryland, and elsewhere. Being fair
white wheat, and having the very-much-
sought-for quality Of earliness, it very soon
come into common use. Its failure, how
ever, in the general quality of productive
ness, and other causes, perhaps, have
caused it to be superseded where it was
first SO popular. When it is going out of
use here and elsewhere, We find it taken up
by the department at Washington and dis
tributed in little packages through the
country as new thing of special value,
and with the erroneous historical statement
that it had originated in Maryland.
A correspondent of the Country Gentle
man, writing from Clarksville, Tennessee,
says: "The commissioner of agriculture
at Washington says, under date Of August
IA, 1867, This variety was first discovered
| in field in Maryland upon which the
| white Mediterranean had been sown. 4
! few stalks appeared to grow taller and ma
ture some fifteen days earlier than the bal
ance. This attracted the attention of the
| owner, who cut the stalks and planted the
product next fall by itself +; and the result
was fine crop, maturing some two weeks
earlier than any other wheat in the Vi
cinity. The heads arc very smooth, with
lighter colored grains than the ordinary
white wheat, very hardy and prolific, and,
| as yet, has never been affected with dis
eases incident to the wheat plant This
last statement does not hold good in OH
| country (Tennessee), or in Maryland,
| where it originated, according to the
american Farmer, Of Baltimore, cited be-
fore, or else why the degeneration l.
| this Seeding not sufficiently established as
| O. distinct variety, or must We very gently
say the Washington functionary is at
| fault 2" *
The tendency to degeneration in wheat
and the necessity of getting new and im-
proved seed, is not confined to America, and
in England much attention has been given
to the subject, and careful experiments
made towards supplying well-knoTn want
| The matter Of what is called "pedigree
wheat,' and Of which n report is made by
the experimenter, Mr.. Hallet, of Brighton
England, in BelPs Weekly Messenger, is
curious and interesting, and may prove a
most useful effort in this direction. Mr.
Hallet has adopted certain principles as ths
result Of many years experimenting : /
"No two grains of any cereal will produce
plants precisely equal, and that, therefore
in any given quantity Of any cereal, whe
ther dozen grains, pint or quart, there
is one grain superior in producing power tc
any of the others. 2. That this superiority
is inheritable. 3. That it may, by the re-
peated selection year after year of the best
descendant grain, be greatly increased and
become practically ixed.''
| He explains what is meant by " pedigree
wheat" shows that it is not practicable tt
make wheat more productive by increas-
| inn tba puroha of aors havon1 q certain
point, or by sowing more seed to the acre,
but that by system of selection the size Of
the ears may be largely increased, and the
power of producing large ears may become
hereditary. We quote what he says or
these points as follows: "We come now tc
inquire what is the practical meaning Of
| pedigree 1t is this We grow certain
crop (ssy of wheat) of forty bushels PEI
acre, and we wish for more. How is more
to be obtained2 Can we grow more ears
in number, end if 30, by what method
Can we SOW more seed per acre No; for
if we do we shall obtain green meat, not
corn. But cannot the number Of ears pro
duced per acre be increased! No. If we
plant single grains six inches by six inches,
nine inches by nine inches, twelve inches
by twelve inches every way, if we drill one
bushel or broadcast two bushels per acre,
we can only obtain about one million ears
per acre. The only means of increasing
then, is by increasing the contents of the
cars, and this have effected by my system
Ct selection. Thus l have already doubled
the contents of the original ears of the three
varieties Of red, white, and blue pedigree
I IL - &ha fnr,-