578 More About Terra Culture. [December, 



go in as deep as possible : for it rarely happens tliat any of the succeeding fuiTows exceed 

 the first one in that respect. The number of after-plowings must be regulated by the 

 condition of the ground and the state of weather. — Loudon, Page 814. 



" The season for sowing wheat on clays is generally the latter end of autumn ; on 

 early turnip soils, it is sown after clover, or turnips, at almost every period, fi-om begin- 

 ning of September till the middle of March ; but the far greater part is sown in Septem- 

 ber and October." — Page 815. 



"The quantity of seed, necessarily depends both on the time of sowing, and the st«te 

 of the land ; land sown early requiring less than the same land when sown i \ winter, or 

 spring ; and poor land being at all times allowed more seed than rich. Ine quantity, 

 accordingly, varies, from two bushels or less, to three, and sometimes even to four, per 

 English Statute Acre," (which is the same with our acre. The " Im2>erial bushel " is 68 

 cubic inches larger than that of the United States. Here is certainly margin enough for 

 all!)— Page 816. 



" The modes of sowing wheat, are, either broadcast, ribbing or dibbling. The first 

 mode is by far the most general, more especially in the north of England, and Scotland ; 

 and the seed is for the most part covered by harrows. 



Many farmers alledge, that, wheat which is haiTOwed in, is apt to be thrown out in 

 spriug ; or, if not thrown out at that season, that it does not tiller well, and that the 

 stalks are apt to ' dwindle away,' and fall down in the following season. It is certain 

 that this is the case in many parts of England ; by which there is not sufScieut covering 

 for the seed. To guard against these evils, it is a very general practice in most of the 

 southern counties, when wheat is sown broadcast, to plow it in with a shallow furrow. 



Drilling, however, is extensively practiced in some districts, and is becoming more gen- 

 eral on lands infested with the seeds of annual weeds, especially when sown in spring. — 

 This is for the pm^pose of cultivating witli the hoe. 



The dibbler carries on three flags, or turued furrows ; going on some yards upon one 

 of the outside furrows, and rcturiiing upon the other, after which he takes the middle 

 one ; and thus keeps his three droppers constantly employed ; and at the same time there 

 is no danger of filling up the holes with his feet. The droppers put two or thi'ee grains 

 of wheat in each hole ; but much time and patience are necessary to teach them to per- 

 form the business properly and quickly. Au expert dibbler will hole half an acre in a 

 day ; though one third of an acre is reckoned a good day's work. The seed is covered 

 by means of a bush harrow ; and from one bushel to sLx pecks is the usual quantity for 

 an acre." 



What would our prairie farmers say of this treatment? It is cer- 

 tain that it will not soon be adopted by them ! 



In the American Agriculturist of 1845, vol. i., pages 123 and 124, 

 we have the following instructions, quoted from the London Farm- 

 ers Magazine^ certainly no mean authority: 



" Our crops of wheat in this district are very apt to be thrown out in spring, by alter- 

 nate nights of frost and days of sunshine, whereby the roots, if the plants are not entirely 

 destroyed, are so injured, that to support nature, the plant throws out side shoots, and 

 there being no firm hold on the ground, becomes what, in England, is called root-fallen, 



