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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



tensive undertaking, has not yet been fully carried out, 

 althoughthe publication of the vast array of patents is very 

 satisfactorily proceeded with, a large number being already 

 in print. The patent specifications of the old and the 

 new acts being, as may be easily conceived, very volumi- 

 nous, to aid parties desirous of consulting any special 

 one, the patent commissioners have very judiciously pre- 

 pared, under the direction of their able superintendent, 

 Bennet Woodcroft, the well-known engineer and inventor, 

 a series of valuable indexes, chronological, aljjkabeiical, 

 and subject-matter, embracing the period from March 

 2, 1617, up to the present year. These indexes, con- 

 taining a large amount of useful matter, have, in their 

 turn, become, like the specifications whose existence 



and nature they serve to indicate, so voluminous that, 

 " placed beyond the reach of a large number of inventors 

 and others to whom they have become indispensable," 

 it has been considered necessary to prepare " short ab- 

 stracts or abridgments of the specifications of patents 

 under each head of invention,'' so arranged " as to form 

 at once a chronological, subject-matter, reference, and 

 alphabetical index to the class to which they relate." 

 Of the abridgments already published, two only possesg 

 a special interest to our readers — one on " Manures," 

 and the other on " Drain Tiles and Pipes." A glance 

 at these vyiU afford matter for future articles. 



R. S, B. 



THE PROMISE OF THE WHEAT CROP. 



It would tend to the general advancement of 

 agriculture if calculations upon growing productions 

 could be easily and readily estimated. Such, however, 

 are the difficulties by which this undertaking is sur- 

 rounded, that we fear that it could scarcely be accom- 

 plished -with sufficient accuracy and celerity to be 

 rendered more advantageous than by the present mode 

 through which the papers disseminate information upon 

 the harvest and its antecedents. 



We ventured an opinion at the commencement of 

 this month upon the prospects of the coming harvest, 

 and which opinion is now likely to be borne out to the 

 fullest extent — viz., that the wheat plant had, by coming 

 into ear quicklj', during weather of an unusual warm 

 and settled character, established itself, with fewer 

 chances of blight succeeding than usual. As the 

 weather had previously been unusually dry, the chances 

 of a good crop were far greater than in almost any 

 antecedent season. And now that the wheat is ap- 

 proaching maturity, we find all our anticipations about 

 to be realized; not over a limited space alone, but 

 throughout the whole kingdom. We venture an asser- 

 tion, that we consider few will challenge, of there being 

 less deficiency this year in the wheat-ear than the oldest 

 farmer remembers. This will go far to compensate the 

 deficiency in bulk even in those districts aflPected by the 

 natural dryness of the soil. It is thus far obvious 

 that the quality and quantity of the wheat crop depend 

 materially upon the state of the weather at the imme- 

 diate time of bursting into ear, rather than to any other 

 causes. When moreover the earing-time has also been 

 preceded by di-y weather, those chances are increased in 

 a proportionate ratio. Much, however, depends upon 

 the nature and quality of the soil ; but in a universally 

 dry season less apparent difference become visible than 

 in one of a moist character. 



One of the most formidable enemies of the farmer is 

 the destructive small fly called the "wheat midge," 

 which, although barely visible to the inexperienced 

 eye, in some years effects injury to the extent of from 

 20 to 25 per cent. In some piects it has been com- 

 puted that one-half the grains have been destroyed 

 by the small orange-coloured larvfB that result from 

 its attacks ; but very fortunately it rarely occurs 

 that injury to such an extent takes place. And it is 

 only in moist and cool seasons, at the time of the wheat 



earing-out, that the greatest damage follows. In hot 

 and dry seasons like the present, whatever maybe the 

 number of flies, but little damage is effected by them 

 should the weather continue hot and di-y immediately 

 after the wheat has got into ear. This is appa- 

 rent by one side of the ear only becoming affected, 

 being that which first protrudes from the sheath ; but 

 if it remains for a day or two in that state (which it in- 

 variably does in cool and moist weather), then the ra- 

 vages will be found to be twice as destructive as would 

 have been the case had the weather been dry and warm, 

 so as to have brought out the wheat ear in the space of 

 a few hours only. The state of the weather at the time 

 of earing-out of the wheat also operates very greatly 

 upon the yield of the crop. A frost during night at 

 that period acts most injuriously upon the young tender 

 ear ; and to such an extent that one-third downwards 

 of its whole length frequently becomes blighted. From 

 any such a visitation we have entirely escaped this 

 season. 



In addition, there is also a large catalogue of blights 

 and injuries sustained by the wheat crop during moist 

 and cool seasons that are scarcely apparent in dry and 

 warm ones. Of these, all those of the parasitic fungi 

 tribe are most destructive ; esi:)ecially those known by 

 the name of red rust, red gum, red robin {uredo 

 rubigo Sin6.iiredo linearis), as well as that dreadful 

 scourge known as mildew (piccinia graminis), and 

 which is hardly apparent in warm and uniformly 

 dry weather. 



Whatever may be advanced to the contrary, it is 

 quite certain that the influence of season has more 

 effect upon the crop than any other cause whatever, and 

 probably more than all others combined. Wheat 

 delights in a dry and warm atmosphere, especially 

 at the period of coming into ear. This obtained, more 

 than counterbalances any other influences. It is now 

 decided that the present crop will be a full average one 

 — in many instances a very prolific one. The strong 

 heavy lands of good quality will produce an abundant 

 crop, that will more than compensate the deficiency 

 found upon the light and arid foils. Still even upon 

 the threshold of the harvest we may be too sanguine ; 

 but with the weather in accordance with the prospects, 

 there is little to fear but that the crop throughout 

 England will be the best since 1850 — not only as regards 

 the yield, but in point of quality also. And a bountiful 

 crop is one of the greatest blessings Providence bestows 

 upon man ; the producer as well as the consumer alike 

 participating in the benefit. 



