The sea hereabouts is clogged with ugly sunken rocks, and nothing but a good chart and a sharp look out could have saved us from some ugly thumps. On Sunday, Andros was passed. From the state of the wind we were debarred from passing Cape St. Angelo, or "Suniumis marble steep," which I regretted, as it would have been splendid at full moon. No sooner had we fairly reached this island, than we were raked fore and aft, with what is called a chopping sea, and all drenched, and the motion was not at all suitable for delicate stomachs. On Monday, passed Mytilene (the ancient Lesbos), a large and fertile island, only separated from the Turkish shore by a narrow channel. We were now in sight of the mouth of the Dardanelles, and chuckling at our short passage, when the wind changed, the rain came in torrents, and a thick mist obscured the look out; so, after vainly struggling for some time, we cast anchor for the first time, at the little island of Tenedos. THE CHEVALIER TEN-ROWED WHEAT. PART of the preliminary plan of our little Magazine was the introduction of such novelties, especially connected with rural life, as might prove interesting or valuable to its readers. The full development of that plan has, of course, been hitherto impossible, but we shall hasten to present its several parts as opportunity serves. In accordance with it, however, we are desirous of making known, widely as we can, one of the most valuable fruits this country has ever produced. This is the Chevalier ten-rowed white Wheat,-called so from its having five grains in a chest, or set, on each side; or from seventy to one hundred and ten grains in each ear. Some of these ears are of extraordinary size, and the grain itself remarkably full, firm, clear, and sound, and producing meal of beautiful colour and texture. Its cultivator, Mr. Brown, of Cheapside, has pub lished several striking facts respecting the produce of the seed, which, for the last two years, he has been disposing of to the public. He says, that five pecks of this wheat are sufficient for sowing an acre of ground broad-cast; and that this quantity, on moderately good land, has produced as much as from six to seven quarters and a half per acre. The following is a statement made respecting it by Mr. Lewin, a gentleman of much experience, and deputychairman of the Central Agricultural Association. He gives the following as the produce of a sack of grain of 260lbs. weight: 156 superfine flour (whites) making 203 bread. 28 seconds 20 middlings 16 fine pollard 20 of coarse ditto 12 bran 8 loss in grinding and dressing 260 37 ditto. 2404 All This 240 lbs. of bread from the above quantity of flour, is at the rate of 370lbs., or 92 four pound loaves, from a sack of flour of 280 lbs. It is quite a matter of opinion as to mixing with other flour; some persons would, others would not. produce partakes in some degree of the nature of the soil that produces it; for instance, my farm, and the lands generally around, are good loamy or mixed soils, and will produce from a sack of superfine flour about 92 four pound loaves on the average, sandy weak soils about 90, and strong clay soils from 93 to 94 loaves, but not generally so showy or so handsome. I have sent you a few small loaves, which I considered would be better than one large one for show and convenience, and for distribution among your friends if you wish it, and you will see the quality is as good as can be made. Other testimony, of produce superior even to this, is adduced; and a variety of evidence shows, that whether sown on good or bad land, this species of wheat always preserves its proportional superiority. An instance of the exceeding fruitfulness of this wheat is given by an intelligent gentleman of Great Bedwin, near Marlborough. He says, In the latter end of November, 1835, I chanced to obtain one ear of the above-named wheat, which had been carried in the pocket and shown to various persons, and several corns lost; those which remained I planted in my field, at 12 inches apart every way. In the spring of 1836, 54 plants were alive; at harvest I cut the produce, and counted 527 ears of corn, many of them having 130 grains in them, which, when rubbed out by the hand, measured 34 pints imperial, and weighed 31⁄2 lbs. averdupois. As soon as I had housed my little crop of beans, the land was got ready for a further experiment with this wheat. I employed four persons to dibble it in rows of 12 inches apart, and to drop the seed one in a hole, at six inches distance in the rows; by this means it covered a space of 64 poles of land. All my neighbours endeavoured to persuade me that my experiment was a failure, more particularly as the ungenial nature of spring had so retarded vegetation. However, when we were enlivened by the warmth of May, the alteration in its appearance was truly astonishing; it then became the common talk of the neighbourhood. Suffice it to say, I harvested four one horse cart loads of sheaves, which have undergone the process of thrashing; the produce is within a quart of 16 bushels, each bushel weighing 61 lbs. I lost a great many ears, in consequence of the field being bounded by the public road; persons passing took the liberty of gathering them, out of curiosity, still the weight of the whole crop is 8 cwt. 2 qrs. 24lbs.-an enormous produce from 34lbs. of seed, each ounce producing 18 lbs. 3 oz., a thing, as far as I know, unprecedented in the annals of agriculture. There is a deficiency in the weight of two ounces upon the quarter imperial, which can only be accounted for by the rains in the month of July, bringing up a fresh crop of ears, which were not perfected in the time of reaping, consequently the sample is not good, it being, as the millers say, rather troughy. Nor can we refrain from giving another extract from Mr. Brown's proofs of the excellency of the Species of Wheat which he recommends, As regards the money part of the question, it may be observed, that if the produce can be increased to the extent represented by the Proprietor, every 100 acres sown with his new Wheat will return forty additional loads, which, if sold at £17 per load, would be £680 sterling: and if on the same number of acres 100 bushels of grain be saved by difference in seeding, the gross produce would be further increased two and a half loads, making the total excess profit on 100 acres equal to £722 10s. sterling, being enough, with other produce, to pay rent and all other out goings, not only on the best land, but even on poor soils, without sinking capital for that purpose! It is with peculiar pleasure that we hail the introduction of this improved produce, and sincerely trust that the extent of remuneration derived from its cultivation may lead to a more enlarged attention to agriculture among the capitalists and scientific men of the country, and ultimately relieve Britain from the disadvantage of depending for a great portion of its most indispensable necessary on the soil and labour of foreign lands. SONG.-HARVEST HOME. O'er hill, o'er dale, far and near you may roam, To eat and to drink, there is plenty and more, Whence we drink of the grape from our native ground. The true old English harvest home. 'Tis the liquor that's made from barley grain, So we'll quaff to old England, the brave and the free, The true old English harvest home. He who hath blessed us with this year's increase, And gladly keep up our harvest home, Our true old English harvest home. Then joy to the absent, and may all who are here, To keep up our merry harvest hon.e, Our true old English harvest home. THIS palace is situate in West Lothian, North Britain, on the top of a hill behind the town, overlooking a beautiful little lake, and forming one of the grandest ancient edifices in the kingdom. It was formerly a regal residence, and tradition alleges that it was a favourite one of the old Scotch kings, who resorted there chiefly for the exercise of falconry, a sport of great popularity in the feudal ages. Hunting was also a frequent and successful pastime in the neighbourhood. No North country stronghold exists without having attached to its history some wild legend or romantic incident. In the reign of Edward I. this castle was in the keeping of one Piers Lubaud, a Gascoigne knight, who would seem to have remained in possession until the autumn of 1313, when, according to Barbour, the Scots recovered it under most extraordinary circumstances. William Binnock was a stout-hearted and ingenious Vill. Mag. Dec. 1838. L |