On the Cultivation of Wheat 



537 



Its importance is very great, and the straw 

 giving qualities of wheats are a great test 

 of value. Farmers in the south of Eng- 

 land, as we have stated, sow it mixed 

 with Nursery red ; we highly approve of the 

 mixture, having grown it successfully, the 

 straws being of different lengths — the mixture 

 assumes the character of Fenton wheat in 

 this respect. 



We may here observe in regard to sowing 

 mixtures of wheat, that produce of the first 

 mixture may assume quite a different charac- 

 ter if sown again. The two varieties may 

 hybridize and produce a combination of new 

 varieties only partially developed. If mixtures 

 are sown, we consider it safer to mix varieties 

 which have been grown separate. It may be 

 as well to mention that in the above 

 experiments the wheats were sown on 

 the second Monday of November, and were 

 also all cut on the same day in autumn except 

 the Lammas, which was reaped next morning. 

 We were interrupted, from rain, during the 

 carrying. W'e began about mid-day on the 

 loth of August. The Lammas red was all 

 got in, and about half of King Richard, and 

 halfofthe Bearded White. We resumed again 

 on the 13th, and finished all except the Nur- 

 sery, two loads of which we thought too wet 

 to stack. We unloaded and opened out 

 these sheaves next day, when a little of the 

 grain was shed. The thrashing out was done 

 in dry weather. We are thus minute in detail 

 in order that nothing w^e state may have the 

 slightest tendency to mislead. 



We would now briefly draw attention to the 

 \alue of making experiments. All over Great 

 Britain large valuations are annually made of 

 growing crops, in order to facilitate the out- 

 going and incoming to most farms. This is 

 a most difticult thing to do, and it is almost 

 impossible to judge accurately, the yield per 

 acre of different varieties being so deceptive, 

 and it is so difficult to tell the quantity of 

 straw in proportion to the grain. Now, if 

 most of our farmers were annually to measure 

 off I or 2 acres, and carefully test the 



crop, a correct and proper data would be 

 given. We admit the results of one season 

 may be totally upset by the next; but 

 let the system be continued over a series 

 of years, and a fair average will be se- 

 cured. We fear there is a dogmatic spirit 

 abroad in regard to the public discussion 

 of many agricultural subjects. Antient laws or 

 rules have been framed and laid down, we 

 hope not so firmly as those of " the Medes 

 and Persians," still they are strongly adhered 

 to, and the suggestion of anything new is 

 looked upon as an innovation. The element 

 of caution is very fully developed, and it is 

 thought imprudent to publish large returns 

 per acre. In short, the motto or maxim is, 

 " Put the candle under the bushel." But we 

 know it is the opinion of a very great agricul- 

 turist not to do so, and we embrace it cordi- 

 ally, for it coincides with our own. Farming 

 is like no other profession in regard to the 

 great benefit we can confer on each other by 

 frankly and truly communicating each other's 

 experiences, and this can be easiest and best 

 done through the medium of those admirable 

 agricultural journals, which the enterprize of 

 the present day has established. We have 

 another motive for the publication of these 

 experiments— and to divest them of all 

 appearance of being at all flattering to the 

 yield of one favoured locality ; we distinctly 

 state there are many larger crops grown 

 this season in East Lothian, on lands in better 

 cultivation and more favoured by nature for 

 the purpose. The farmers of East Lothian 

 are all naturally proud of their county. 

 Other counties have made rapid strides, 

 and may equal and even surpass it m 

 some branch of the tree of agricultural 

 fame ; but the world must admit it holds a 

 noble agricultural inheritance from those 

 great and enterprizing farmers, "on whose 

 names we look back with a grateful rever- 

 ence " who led the van— who gave impetus 

 and life to the tillage of our fields when the 

 agriculture of our country, at least in a great 

 portion of the kingdom, was stagnant. 



