OF SCOTLAND.
461
many varieties, which may be arranged under two divisions,thick-chaffed, and thin-chaffed*. The former of these wasformerly in greatest repute, as generally yielding the whitestand finest flour, and therefore in greuter demand by themillers; but since autumn 1799, when mildew raged so ex-tensively, to which the thick-chaffed varieties were foundmore peculiarly liable, these kinds have been gradually fall-ing into disrepute, and are now nearly banished from thewell managed wheat districts of Scotland . The thin-chaffedvarieties of white wheat are found to be more hardy in theirnature, are seldom injured, unless when the weather happensto be particularly unfavourable during the period of flower-ing or blossoming, and in the after stages of filling andripening; and some even of these thin-chaffed varieties arefound from experience to be better able to resist the ravagesof mildew' than others. “ In the year 1799, when so muchinjury was suffered from mildew, few thin-chaffed wheatswere seriously injured as to quality, and repeated instancesoccurred, in which the crops of these exceeded that of anequal extent of thick-chaffed wheat, not less than 30 per cent.quantity and quality considered. Since that year, the cul-ture of thin-chaffed wheats has rapidly increased, and theynow bear a deservedly high character f.” Of late years, avariety selected and propagated by Mr Hunter of Tynefield,in East Lothian , has come into high and deserved repute,being considered among experienced husbandmen, as muchsuperior, In respect to produce and hardiness, to any knownvariety. This variety preserves a green and healthy appear-ance hi the coldest weather, when the others become sicklyand of a yellow hue; and though it does not perhaps affordthe fairest sample in the market, it is found to produce a-bundance of excellent flour. In the south-east of Berwick-shire, and the north of Northumberland, another kind called
frown's Treatise on Rural Affairs.
f IbM.