THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



247 



weather is suitable ; this to be followed by rather deep 

 hoeing as soon as the plants are fairly up again, which 

 with one or two harrowings will generally thicken the 

 plant surprisingly, particularly if the variety of wheat 

 is subject to tillering. If the soil is weak and requires 

 every aid, the best course is to roll and hoe early, so as 

 to encourage the growth as much as possible ; and then, 

 when the blade is sufficiently forward, apply a top- 

 dressing of manure — i. e., soot, nitrate of soda, guano, 

 or other of our many and approved concentrated ma- 

 nures — taking care to have the manures reduced to dust, 

 and sown in showery weather early in the morning, upon 

 heavy dews. But in a great nutny cases there is no 

 •plant at all. The farmers must, forthe most part, then 

 be ruled by circumstances. On some rich soils it may 

 answer to plough up and work the land for potatoes ; in 

 others, simply to plough up and sow spring cropping — 

 beans, peas, barley, or oats — depending upon the crop 

 which preceded the wheat plant, always avoiding a 

 return to the same crop. If the wheat succeeded beans 

 or peas, I should prefer oats or barley ; if after oats, I 

 should prefer the pulse crop. If in the judgment of the 

 farmer neither of these crops would be desirable or meet 

 his views, he could readily resort to the bearded spring 

 wheat, which may be put in as late as Ist of May with 

 safety. At all events, the land must not lie dormant; 

 if one plan Tails, another must be tried. The season, 

 after all the farmer's efforts, may frustrate his purposes. 

 He must then aim to produce a root or cabbage crop, 

 and generally the cabbage crop is to be preferred in 

 precarious cases ; the plant can be grown strongly, and 

 if the farmer is watchful and prompt he may generally 

 secure a good planting. Coleseed is the next safest 

 crop in difficult cases, and the sowing can if necessary 

 be deferred to late in July, when with superphosphate 

 or other good artificial manure a good crop may be 

 secured. Turnips require a better preparation than 

 either of the above, but the crop does not often excel 

 either. I would say that, with judgment, promptitude, 

 and care, most of our thin crops may thus be made pro- 

 fitable, and at no very great expense or much extra 

 trouble. 



Tares. — In every defective crop of winter tares re - 

 quired for grazing, the best course is to fill up with 

 white mustard. This may be advantageously done by 

 watching the season ; and on a suitable dry day sow, at 

 the rate of from ten to twelve pounds of seed per acre, 

 upon all places requiring a renewal, and harrow it in, 

 so as to obtain a reasonable covering. If the soil is 

 sodden or stiff", or waxy, the farmer must wait as long 

 as his judgment can permit him ; and then, if no change 

 occurs in the condition of the soil, to suit it for the re- 

 ception of mustardseed, he will have to plough it up for 

 a root or coleseed crop. White mustard grows rapidly, 

 when once fairly up. Bones or superphosphate aid its 

 progress wonderfully. It should not be stocked before 

 attainining a reasonable growth — i. e., nearly a foot in 

 height. It constitutes a safe and nutritious food for 

 store sheep. 



The Tumipseed Crop. — This must be filled up as 



well as possible by fresh and good sound bulbs : seed is 

 of no use. If no fresh bulbs are to be had, then, after 

 or before the first hoeing, sow the thin parts with 

 turnipseed. This will frequently provide a fair crop of 

 turnips, after the seed crop is reaped. Should, however, 

 the crop be so thin as to evidence a considerable failure 

 in the seed crop, it will be a case for serious consider- 

 ration as to the propriety of ploughing it up and sub- 

 stituting a spring crop. Thin seed crops of these kinds 

 are so seriously injured by wind and weather, as gene- 

 rally to make them unprofitable. Far better to substi- 

 tute another crop, than take the risk. 



Winter jBeans.^-There is little to be done, if the soil 

 is stiff and close at top ; but if open and free, possibly 

 dibbling a fair quantity in afresh may do good, or deep 

 hoeing, and then tlie dibbling might proceed. The 

 spring variety should be chosen for this filling up. If 

 the plant is really a doubtful or haz.irdous one, do not 

 hesitate. Up with it, and sow the spring beans. Half- 

 crops are always unprofitable : at all events, aim to. have 

 a full one. The land would be in a better state to pro- 

 duce a full crop, than if only recently ploughed from 

 the harvest crop. 



Rye. — There is now so little grown, that it is almost 

 superfluous to allude to it. Where it is sown for early 

 spring grazing, nothing can be done to advantage in 

 improving it. If it is to be of any use at all, it is 

 wanted before any plant can be made to grow to any 

 extent. The best aids this way are in white mustard or 

 barley, well harrowed in. Spring tares would answer 

 very well, if the grazing can be prolonged to July be- 

 fore ploughing up. 



Cabbage. — This is becoming a more important spring 

 crop than formerly. Mangolds are now so freely grown, 

 and so well harvested, that they form the principal 

 spring food for cattle and sheep. The farmer has to 

 look out for a continuous supply, when this fails ; and 

 one of his best resorts is to cabbage. For this purpose 

 he requires a large breadth of cabbage plants to be set 

 in the autumn, and a considerable number in beds, for 

 early spring planting. Those planted in the autumn 

 will simply require filling up with fresh plants from the 

 beds. The substitute for any failure of the cabbage- 

 plant beds must be made up by sowing coleseed on the 

 land intended for cabbage. It is subject to mildew, 

 when sown out of season ; but it produces much food. 



N.B. — I omitted to say in my paper of last week, on 

 planting potatoes, that I wished strongly to recommend 

 the selection of any tubers known to be free from dis- 

 ease, and to plant them separately, so as to avoid any 

 contact with diseased vai'ieties, and on soil, if possible, 

 untainted by it ; and from this stock to provide the fu- 

 ture seed. The Flukes, which were free three years 

 ago, are sadly diseased now. Is this owing to careless- 

 ness ? Occasionally, we find a fresh introduction of a 

 variety ; that it will be tolerably free, for the season j 

 but, by some cause or other, it is soon bad enough. 

 Would careful selection of the clearest tubers prolong 

 their safety ? Such simple means can be adopted, and 

 may prove advantageous. 



HOW TO TAKE THE CENSUS. 



The decennial enumeration of the inhabitants of the 

 United Kingdom is to be made next month, and it is to 

 be desired that the census to be taken should compre- 

 hend, not merely the names, ages, nativities, and occu- 

 pations of the people, but also returns of the lands in 

 crop, live-stock, and products of industry generally, in 



the British Isles. It is by no means creditable to a king- 

 dom which prizes itself for its skilful agriculture and 

 grazing success that there should be no collective data 

 whatever to mark its actual position and progress, 

 while many of its colonies and petty European States 

 can point with satisfaction to the elaborate returns and 



