THE FARMER'S MAGA2INE. 



391 



and mischance, the deep culture and pulverization of 

 the intervals, combined with tho free play of the winds 

 and sunbeams to invigorate nnd swell the harvest ears, 

 so that a sauill lick yithlcd, at tlinshlnp', an unparal- 

 leled measure of griiin in proportion to the straw. The 

 yield, though not l-irge, was sufficicrit to give a good pro- 

 fit per acre when sold ;it .'tOi, a quarter. iVow, if a crop 

 so put in on such ground, upon a barley s'ubble — tlic 

 barley itself grown after wheat, without manure — paid 

 its expenses well, is ihrrc not a better chance for the 

 crop Yiow coming up, sown as it W'ls in a well-pulver- 

 ized noist seed-bed that had been hare-fallowcd winter 

 and summer .•' At any rate, the thickly-tillered plant 

 looks splendidly at present, and will doubtless sjiindle 

 into waving luxuri'ii ce under the feeding influence of 

 the hoe. Here we have wheat after wheat, after barley, 

 aft(r wheat, following bems, vunnirvd : a Umg while 

 back to the last manuring ; yet the third white-straw 

 crop was profitable, and the rows of a fourth shine green 

 and hope ul, with brown strijies of fertility mouldering 

 their clods between. 



Actual experience of 0!\ly one year's crop, added to 

 the bright prospect for another, may not warrant our 

 advocacy of a revolution in wheat-growing such as our 

 system would prove if largely carried out. We do not 

 venture to recommend any farmer to sow all, or even 

 half, his next year's wheat on this plan ; but we dourL'e 

 all occupiers of suitable soil, and whose agents or kind- 

 lords ore not afraid of "exhaustion," to try a few 

 acres, and, our word for it, they will soon be willing to 

 stretch the rows a Utile further. We are in a position 

 to say " the culture is cheap and lasy, for we have per- 

 formed it two successive years ; there will be no loss 

 with the first crop, at any rate, so you need not be fear- 

 ful ; and the reward in many ways is so promising, that 

 the experiment is well worth your trouble, contrivance, 

 and risk." 



In perusing the following detailed description of our 

 wheat husbandry, let no one suppose we are presuming 

 to stand between the Rev. Mr. Smith and the leaders of 

 his " Word in Season," or that we claim the 

 " originality" of cultivating grain on the stripe system 

 by means of hoise- power instead of manual implenumts. 

 Our method is simply a modification of that originated 

 at Lois-Weedon, and our directions conform to those 

 given in Mr. Smith's publications. Jethro TuH worked 

 the intervals between his wheat-rows with the plough 

 and " hoe-plough ;" Mr Smith has progressed very far 

 toward accomplishing his more perfect tillage by horses 

 and traction implements ; and we have simply contrived 

 a manner of common ploughing and sul'soiling between 

 the \\ heat triplets, without either injuring the plants or 

 defeating the end in view. And we trust that when 

 the public learn how easily the thing is done, they 

 will no longer hcHiUte to make trials in every suitable 

 locality. 



First, then, we would say, believe in the principle : 

 rely upon the fact that tilling the fallow intervals does 

 really nourish and augment the growth and produce of 

 the wheat. Fur if uncurl ain on this paint, you arr sure 

 to select a field for trial in too high a conditioti ; the re- 

 sult being an early ovrr-luxuriance and final failure of 

 the first year's crop. Land in condition for producing' 

 a heavy crop of wheat on the ordinary plan (as, for 

 instiince, a bare fallow, a field of roots highly manured, 

 a bean or jiea stubble, or a piece of seeds richly dressed 

 with dun!.; or sheep-feeding) is too good to begin upon. 

 Rather choos,^ an oat stubble, perhaj)s a barley or even 

 a wheat stubble — depending ujion the known nature of 

 your soil, and its Imns, in or out of " heart." 



Also, make up your mind to sow earlier than you 

 would any other wheat, because there are less than 

 half the common iiumbcr of ro^vs en an acre ; which 



with the same quantity of seed in each row, makes a 

 very thin seeding, and of course more than double the 

 usual average sp^sre br.tweni plant and plant — a con- 

 dition iif thing- likely to end in mildew unless you sow 

 e:irly to prevent it. And be.'idcs, the great distances 

 apart promote llu' stooling or tillering of the plants, tlie 

 brandling of th.>; root, ard sliootii-g up of additional 

 stems (svl)ich, indeed, forms one of the strcrets of a good 

 crop), anl you will lose both in quantity and quality of 

 corn unless time be allowed for this process to transpire 

 bnfore the advanced spring. So the preparation must 

 take place very soon after harvest. 



Well, the " shack " being eaten off by sheep and pigs, 

 and the stubble (if after a straw crop) carried away, of 

 course you will autumn-clean thoroughly ; forking out 

 couch, if the land be only slightly tainted; but, most 

 probably, skimming, cross-cultivating, and raking off 

 weeds and rubbish. I'lough siy one inch deeper thi.n 

 usual, in order to bring up 100 tons of fresh long- 

 undi.'turbed subsoil, to supply the crop with mineral 

 nutriment during the first year. Level and pulverize 

 with the harrow and roll ; carefully pick all root-weeds ; 

 aud ihtn comes the diilling. But mind one particular 

 point. " Plough dry and sow wet," as Mr. Smith says : 

 that is, do all your paring and ploughing, or ploughing 

 followed by scuffling, or whatever order of cleaning you 

 alopt, when the land is dry ; aud wail for rain to make 

 a moist seed-bed, before you harrow fine and drill. 

 Getting-in wheat well is always a great advantage; but 

 is of far more consequence, one would think, when 

 there is no store of manure in the soil to make up for 

 defective tillage, and the preparation and treatment of 

 the earth itself is to be the sole support of the crop. 

 Therefore, be nice about the moisture as well as the fine 

 tilth of the ground into which you deposit the seed ; 

 and take especial care to cut-in deeply enough with your 

 drill coulters. A remark as to the desirability of having 

 a fine description of seed ("red") for the sake of 

 a bright silica-slielded straw, unless in a district famous 

 for v^'hite wheats without mildew), and the caution of 

 well liming, brining, or dressing with arsenic or vitriol — 

 according to your custom — need not be addressed to men 

 of business. 



Now for the sowing. There is to be a stripe of three 

 rows at every five feet ; the " spaces" between the rows 

 being 10 inclnseach (instead of Mr. Sujith's "foot"), 

 and the " interval" between tlie stripes, therefore, 

 40 inches. You want neither the slow line and dibble, 

 nor a sort of parallel-rule whtel "marker" purposely 

 constructed; for a good 5 or G-fect corn diill, ei'.hir 

 with a " steerage," or with a " swing" coulter-bar and 

 a good man for " leader," can accomplish the fiat. 

 Arrange four coulters on the drill thus: two at GO 

 inches apart, and, within these, two more at ^0 inchis 

 apart; making the disiances in this order, 10 inches, 

 40 inches, and 10 inches. Each outride coulter will 

 make the midillc row in a stripe of three ; and the 

 inner coulters will sow the rows next the fallow interval, 

 the horses (in length) walking alo;;g this space left 

 midway of the drill. When arrived at the end, the drill 

 is to turn short, the outside coulter relurning in its own 

 track ; and the seed is shut ofl' from the pipe of that 

 outside coulter next the unsown part of the field, so 

 tliat the ou'side coulters act alternately as "markers" 

 aud sowiiig-couUers. In this way, the drill marks out 

 its own work, without any difUculty after the fir.-,t course 

 —which the drill-leailer "draws" by simple eyesight. 

 Whatever swcrviugs or bends may occur, the width of 

 the interval to be cultivated is always invariable. 



The next year's crop will have to be sown along the 

 inteivals between the stubble- strips ; and the same mode 

 of drilling will suffice, provided the stubble rows remain 



