THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



203 



ON THE PREPARATION OF LAND FOR WHEAT. 



KINGSCOTE AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 



The second meeting for the present season was recently 

 held at Hunters' Hall. There was a full attendance of mem- 

 bers. The subject for consideration was " On the preparation 

 of land for wheat— its after cultivation and management up to 

 the time of cutting;," which was to have been introduced by 

 Mr. J. Ritchie, but who was prevented attending from indis- 

 position. He, however, sent a paper on the matter, which 

 was read by the hon. secretary as follows : — 



Sir, — In introducing to this meeting the subject just named — 

 the preparation of land for wheat, and its after cultivation— I 

 would observe that, in the first place there is the great dif- 

 ference of soils, which we have to contend with in this and all 

 parts of the country, which makes it very difficult to prepare 

 them all as they require, or as we would really wish to do. I 

 will not attempt to enter into the variableness of our soils, but 

 will class them into two sorts— light and heavy soils. In the 

 second place, it may not be amiss to look a little to the pre- 

 ceding crops, along with the preparation of the land. In the 

 third place, the time for planting, the different ways of plant- 

 ing, the quantity of seed required per acre, and las'.ly the after 

 cultivation. We will, then, begin with the light .soil, which 

 we will say includes stone brash, gravel, chalk, and sandy soils. 

 The rotations of crops on these soils, in a general way, are 

 roots, barley, seeds, and wheat. The seeds on the five-field 

 system are mown the first year, and then fed the remaining 

 part of the year, and the following year, sometimes, in addition, 

 with a little cake or corn. On the four-field system, the seeds 

 are mown once — fed for a month or two, we will say, as the 

 former, with a little cake or corn. This we will say, gentlemen, 

 is laying a pretty good foundation for the wheat crop. There 

 is also another way that is sometimes done ; that is to mow 

 the seeds twice in one year, and then bring the land to wheat. 

 We would at once say the two former, not the latter. It is 

 rather tender ground to tread upon, and I do not wish to be 

 mistaken on this point, when I say that where a good crop of 

 broad clover or cow grass has been mown twice in one season, 

 but not seeded, and the land ploughed up and put to wheat, 

 that better crops have been produced in this way than from 

 the two former ways, even when a liberal quantity of cake or 

 corn has been added to the feed. This seems at first sight to 

 be contrary to common sense and reason ; but I will endeavour 

 to give an explanation from my own experience and observa- 

 tions. The clover and cow grass plants are strong in stalk 

 and very leaflet, and as the stalk goes upwards, the root is 

 also strong, and goes downwards, or spreading in the soil, and 

 by mowing ouce and again the roots are still increasing in 

 proportion, thus giving us from 50 or 60 cwt.of roots or vege- 

 table matter per acre, and a most valuable manure for the 

 wheat plant, aud by feeding this most valuable plant we kill 

 it, as it will not stand constant feeding. If we look at two- 

 year-old lea when it is ploughed, we do not see any of the clo- 

 ver or cow grass roots ; no, they are gone ; but where are 

 they gone ? There was never very many there, because they 

 were killed, as I said before, by constant feeding. But there 

 are other crops which are very good preceding crops for the 

 wheat crop, such as vetches, peas, and rape. The roots of the 

 latter plant, which is also an excellent manure for the wheat, 

 and all broad leaflet crops are good preceding crops for the 



wheat crop. Now we come to the preparation of the land for 

 the crop. On these light soils, the geueral mode of cultivation 

 for one and two-year-old leas is oue ploughing. This may do, 

 if ploughed up with a good furrow, say from five to six 

 inches in depth, and not more than nine inches wide, leaving 

 it for a month or two before it is planted ; then the drags 

 and harrows over it will give us a s\ifficiency of soil to de- 

 posit the seed. But we are aware that on a great many of 

 our light soils we have not that depth of soil, and very 

 often it is ploughed with a furrow not more than three or 

 four inches in depth, and from ten to twelve inches in width ; 

 and all our dragging and harrowing will not get us soil 

 enough for the seed in this way. One good ploughing is 

 worth two bad ones. But we will try another way ; supposing 

 we rafter our one and two-year-old leas. You all know what 

 raftering is. It is taking out one furrow and turning it on 

 the top of the plain surface, thus bringing the two surfaces 

 together ; let it lie in this way for a month or so. In this 

 manner the two surfaces become in a comparatively decom- 

 posed state ; then drag or harrow it down, and plough the land 

 with not too wide a furrow. In this way we are exposing the 

 soil to the action of the sun and air, causing a decomposition 

 of the roots of the grasses into vegetable matter, and a greater 

 amount we may call it of natural manuring from the atmos- 

 phere, and a good depth of soil for the seed; and when the 

 drags and harrows come over it, the unpulverized portions of 

 soil are brought to top, leaving us a rougher surface, which 

 protects and shelters the plant in the winter months, and in 

 the spring falls down and nourishes the roots of the plants. 

 Vetches or roots being fed-off and coming in for wheat, should 

 be raftered or skim ploughed first, by this means we mix the 

 droppings of the sheep in our light soils, and we do not lose 

 it so quickly as Mje would do with one furrow. "We now come 

 to the time of planting. It has been proved that wheat may 

 be planted in all the months of the year except one, and that 

 is in July. In this month it is too late to come to maturity, 

 and too forward to stand through the winter. September, 

 October, and November, are the three most favourable months 

 for autumn planting. December aud January are the two 

 most dormant months in the year, and if not done before 

 these months, it is better left till February, when vegetation 

 begins to move again. March and the first week in April is 

 the most favourable time for spring wheats ; May and June 

 are too late in ordinary seasons, to secure a crop. The evil of 

 too early autumn planting is that in mild seasons the plant 

 gets too forward, and when winter sets in it is checked. And 

 when spring comes it-does not throw out fresh roots into the 

 soil, neither does it send forth shoots to run up ; but it runs 

 up with a weak straw, and very short, small ear. It was 

 checked when it ought to have gone on, or it has spent itself 

 too much, to make another vigorous start at spring. Then, 

 as to the different ways of planting. In the first place, there 

 is sowing broad-cast with the hand ; and a good seedsman 

 and the land in a proper state to yield, the seed, with the 

 drags and harrows, is as likely to produce a good crop as any. 

 And Bowiug broad-cast with the hand, and ploughing the 

 seed in with a light furrow when the land is rough, answers 

 sometimes very well. Hoeing and drilling with the hand is a 



