Ipswich Farmers' Club
The first meeting for the
season was held on Tuesday evening last, at the Agricultural
Hall, in the Old Butter Market. In order to insure regularity
in holding the meetings, and to provide a museum
for rare specimens in agricultural produce, as well as a library
for the use of the members, the premises occupied by
Mr. Prentice were purchased some time since, and these
having been fitted up for the purposes of the club, the arrangements
appeared to give general satisfaction. The
ground floor has been comverted into a commodious room
in which the members assemble for discussion, and the
Hall being situated in the most central part of the town,
will be found very convenient for the attendance of agriculturists.
The first lecture for the season was delivered by
Mr. W.H.B. Webster, surgeon, "on the growth and properties
of different varieties of wheat." To say that the subject
was well treated by Mr. Webster is almost to underrate
the character of the lecture, which in delivery occupied
more than two hours, and was listened to throughout with the
greatest attention. For scientific research, for eloquence,
and for clearness of details, the lecture may be said to have
been first rate; besides conveying to the auditors a mass
of information which may be of great practical utility to the
farmers. A series of drawings, of the different appearances
of wheat, by Mr. Bischoff, the well known artist, were suspended
in the room, as illustrative of the subject, whilst
many fine specimens of different varieties of wheats, were
exhibited upon the table; with many chemical preparations
by the lecturer, which were closely and critically examined
by many of his auditors. In the crowded state of our columns
it would be impossible to do justice to the lecture -
which combined a description of the mechanical construction
of an ear of wheat - the composition of wheat straw,
and its adaptation to different agricultural purposes - an inquiry
into the properties of weeds and as to how far they
may be made, by certain operations, to give back what they
abstract from the fertility of the land - the transplanting of
wheat, and its multiplication - the manner in which machinery
and chemistry may be made to lay nature under
contribution - the constituent properties which distinguish
wheaten flour - the gluten and its properties, with remarks
upon the great national importance of ascertaining the respective
qualities of wheats and the proportion of gluten
which they contain; together with many other inquiries
equally interesting to the practical agriculturist. The lecturer
also remarked that the best sample of seed, was procured
by clipping off the tops and bottoms of the ears of
wheat; the middle of the ear giving the finest and largest
seed. He then commented upon the importance of establishing
a class of horticultural farmers, and alluded to some
fine specimens of wheat grown in this neighbourhood, by
Mr. Allen, some of the ears containing as many as 100 seeds.
At the conclusion, the lecturer was greeted by several rounds
of applause, and a vote of thanks was carried by acclamation,
on the motion of Mr. F. Alexander, seconded by Mr.
A. Ransome; who remarked upon the kind manner in
which Mr. Webster has acceded to the request of the club
to give the lecture, and the gratification all had experienced
from the research it displayed, and from the eloquence of
its details. A short discussion afterwards ensued on the
importance of an inquiry being instituted with the view to
ascertain the description of wheat producing the greatest
quantity of gluten from a given quantity of land.
Source: The Ipswich Journal, Saturday, September 18, 1841