180 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



sion charge is to be graduated as follows : between ten and 

 twelve o'clock, 2s.; between one and two o'clock, Is.; and 

 after two o'clock, 6d. The society's premium for engine- 

 drivers has been with'lrawn, it not being practicable to make 

 the awards satisfactorily. ^Yith regard to the sheep prizes, 

 some difficulty being experienced in defining tlie meaning 

 of the expression " park-fed," the words are for the future 

 to be struck out, Tlie horse premiums are to be increased, 

 Suffolk being deservedly proud of its horse stock. With 

 reference to the stallions, it was proposed to strike out in 

 the prize-sheet the words " thorough-bred" in the riding or 



carriage-horse class, but the Earl of Stradbroke protested 

 against such a proposition, as he 'was anxious, he said, to 

 discourage a breed of horses which ran about eight miles 

 an hour, and wanted to call at the first public-house they 

 came to. The prize of £]0, offered by Lord Henniker, for 

 the best essay on the improvement of pasture-farming in 

 Suffolk, has been awarded to Mr. E. Bond, whose composi- 

 tion will be printed. The finances of the society are in an 

 excellent state, a balance of i£'614 in hand testifying to the 

 excellence of the management, and the general interest felt 

 in the association throughout the district, 



FARM OPERATIONS FOR FEBRUARY. 



Tq this short paper I purpose giving a few plain 

 directions relative to farm practice for the ensuing 

 month ; more particularly suggested by the almost un- 

 exampled season from which we have, I trust, just 

 emerged. Field culture has of course been entirely at 

 a stand, and in consequence all such operations are very 

 backward. The cartage and thrashing departments, 

 however, are in a very forward state, so that ploughing 

 and other field-work which has been delayed by frost 

 may'now be proceeded with. 



The first and most important operation to be now 

 prosecuted is the sowing of wheat. To this all others must 

 give way, and at every favourable opportunity, the state 

 of the soil and weather permitting, it must be attempted. 

 I am old enough to remember the season of 1814-15, 

 The frost did not at that time subside sufficiently to per- 

 mit free seeding till the latter end of March or beginning 

 of April. Much wheat was then sown, and owing to an 

 untoward season for wheat -growing a wretched harvest 

 was the result. The bulk of straw and thinness of 

 grain outdid the yields of last year. Our aim must be 

 to avoid if possible any approach to a similar disaster : 

 hence, I say again, take every favourable opportunity to 

 get in seed, provided (for that must ever be the grand 

 aim) it can be got in well. We have the experience of 

 the past forty to fifty years upon which to fall back. 

 In this time we have had great improvements in wheat 

 growing. We now know that it does not require all 

 soils to be in the finest possible condition to produce a 

 good crop of wheat. Often the richer the soil the 

 poorer the crop — "all straw, little grain." Farmers 

 are more convinced on this point, and now go to 

 longer lengths in rotations, to which landlords readily 

 agree. This is the very season to put a farmer's judg 

 ment to the test. Why sow wheat at all at any hazard .' 

 Other crops may advantageously intervene. In this age 

 of artificial management and artificial manurings rota- 

 tions ought to be abrogated, and the intelligence of mo- 

 dern farmers substituted for all that is obsolete and re- 

 strictive. Farmers have, in fact, to buy their crops of 

 the cake or the manure dealer, and they ought to have 

 them, i.e., crops of grain, not crops of straw. 



We have also the further experience of improvements 

 in the culture of wheat and other grain. The innu- 

 merable " new varieties" brought into the market is 

 astonishing ; and out of them every farmer has annually 

 to make his selection. Now, cannot something suitable 

 be selected for this season ? The nursery wheat has a 

 short wiry straw, very thin and stiff, with white chaff 

 and a small red berry of slender oblong form, and 

 is perhaps the heaviest wheat grown per bushel. This 

 I see is highly recommended. I have grown it two or 

 three times, but found it rather behind some of our 

 favourites for regular growth and produce. The white 

 Jersey wheat of Col. Lecouteur, which I grew some 

 years ago, would, I think, do admirably for such a 

 season, being very short in straw and wiry, with pretty 



plump grain. It may be obtained in Jersey, I doubt 

 not. The hoary or velvet-chaffed white would do well 

 if drilled widely apart, certainly not nearer that ten 

 inches. The bearded April wheat should by all means 

 be selected for April sowing : one of the best crops ever 

 known was from the variety sown upon Old May-day 

 (as I have been told). It yielded upwards of six qrs. 

 per acre, and made six guineas per quarter. The 

 Talavera or Spanish varieties may prove acceptable this 

 year. Can any one tell us of foreign varieties which are 

 generally sown under similar circumstances ? Importa- 

 tions from Sweden, for instance, or North Russia or 

 Canada ? Growers in these countries have no doubt con- 

 sidered this subject long ago, and have adopted salutary 

 precautious. We must obtain knowledge from them. Per- 

 haps our own Orkneys or North Scotland could supply 

 us with proper seed for this very doubtful season. No 

 time must be lost in applying for it in any case. A 

 variety possessing a short straw, and slow in its growth, 

 should, as a general rule, be preferred. 



In this next February, should the weather prove 

 suitable, almost every grain crop may be sown — beans, 

 peas, oats, and even barley towards the close of it. The 

 land for beans or peas should be manured at the rate of 

 eight or ten two- horse cart-loads per acre, and be 

 ploughed-in two or three weeks prior to sowing. The 

 chance of a frost to ameliorate the soil is thus sought 

 for, and, if obtained, saves much labour in harrowing. 

 The beans should be drilled thinly in rows ten inches 

 apart. If the soil is in a good state, from six to eight 

 pecks of good seed are amply sufficient. The chief end 

 to be aimed at is to have every plant separate, so that 

 the flowering process may go on favourably ; and this 

 distribution has on good bean soil^s been found to 

 answer. If hoed out more singly, all the better. For 

 peas a very similar course should be pursued ; but they 

 do not require to stand so singly. From ten to fourteen 

 pecks of seed should be sown, as so many grains are de- 

 fective ; but if all are good, ten pecks will do well. 

 Oats are generally sown on land from which a green 

 crop has been fed off. This land should be ploughed 

 as near up to the folds as possible, so as to retain 

 the value of the sheep deposits. The drilling may be 

 commenced at the latter end of the month in open 

 weather. The rows eight or nine inches apart, and from 

 eight to twelve pecks of seed quite sufficient. The 

 heavier and better the seed, the less will suffice. Bar- 

 ley may be put in, but it is best to await two or three 

 weeks longer, lest frosts should nip the tender blades. 



The ploughing of the fallow lands will of course pro- 

 ceed at convenience, and in dry weather if possible, as 

 they are then so much more readily worked. It is a 

 good time to look over young clovers, to pick out the 

 plants of twitch. Hollow draining should be completed 

 in this month, so that all hands may be ready for the 

 ■wheat-hoeing, and other spring work. 



In stock management much attention will now be re- 



