Commercial Crises and Sun-Spots

Abstract

A SUGGESTION is made by Mr. John Kemp, in NATURE, vol. xix. p. 97, to test the relation of sun-spots to the variation in weight of the cereal grains. Probably the difficulties of giving such a test scientific precision are insurmountable. No doubt these grains do vary in weight from year to year. Of some samples of oats, of crop 1877, contributed by me to the South Kensington Museum, the pound contained 13,642 grains, while the pound of crop 1878 contained 16,870. But there are many varieties of oats, barley, and wheat in general cultivation, each producing grains differing in weight from the others. In an inquiry which I made regarding the weight of the sterling, average grains of wheat of crop 1876 from the south of England were found, in an air-dry condition, to weigh as follows: Talavera, 1.01 gr. troy; Chidham white, 76; Sherrifl's bearded, 86; Kessingland red, 92; Nursery red, .76; Trump white, .81; Red rivet, 1.00; Lammas red, .89; Hunter's white, .75. And different ears of a given variety of wheat have grains of different weight. If six or eight culms come up on one stool, the largest ears hare the heaviest grains. In general, the larger flower-cups in an ear, contain the heavier grains. Then, there is scarcely such a thing to be found as a crop of one pure variety. Any variety rapidly gets mixed with others. And, supposing that a plot were set aside for a pure variety, year after year, for a few cycles of sun-spots, the mineral conditions would be constantly varying; so that any test by the balance to compare the fruit of one year with that of another, would involve too many unappraisable elements to have a real value.