298 On Wheat. 



be applied to it ; this must make the experiment not to be called 

 an unwise one. 



The best preparatory crop for wheat, on most lands, is clover 

 of one year's growth, the decayed roots of which furnish much 

 nourishment for the growing wheat ; but good crops may be ob- 

 tained on good loamy soils, sowed in November, after turnips or 

 mangold-wurzel. 



Many occupiers of strong land still adhere to the old custom of 

 ploughing in their seed- wheat on a summer fallow. It is natural 

 to suppose they must find it answer, or they would not continue the 

 practice, though it is now generally thought that on such land 

 drilling would be better; for thus all the seed is put in at proper 

 depth and distance ; besides which, wheat ploughed in cannot be 

 horse-hoed, or so well hand-hoed. Wheat now generally follows 

 clover ; the seed drilled in across the ploughed furrows : and if 

 the young wheat escapes the ravages of the wire-worm and other 

 grubsj which it is the most likely to do Avhen the land can be laid 

 solid, good crops are obtained ; but as a sandy soil, or sandy 

 loam, is not likely to be firm, it is my opinion, from experience, 

 that on light soils the best method of putting in seed-wheat is by 

 the use of the presser that follows tv/o ploughs, presses hard down 

 the turf in the seams of each furrow, and thus forms drills into 

 which the seed regularly falls on being sowed broadcast, when 

 the wind is not high. The machine which forms the drills and 

 deposits the seed at the same time is best ; for the seed then is 

 more equally laid in the drills ; but the difficulty is to get the 

 seed, swollen from brining and liming, to run regularly down the 

 pipes. The seed in the pressed drills which are wide at bottom 

 is more divided, and has more room to grow than it has when put 

 into the land by a drill. Some think the presser makes the drills 

 too hard at bottom for the young shoots to penetrate ; although 

 the idea appears somewhat plausible, the fact is not so. 



Two of my wheat-crops in 1841, like others of this neighbour- 

 hood on sandy loamy soils, went off in the spring so as to be very 

 bad at harvest. It is not only sustaining a loss, but it is somewhat 

 mortifying to have one's land seen by persons travelling on the 

 turnpike road, full of gaudy poppies and other weeds, as it is 

 sure to be when crops fail. One of the wheat-crops was on a 

 one-year's clover-ley, the seed drilled in October : the other after 

 turnips, the first week in December. On first discovering the 

 thinness of plant in both the crops, I attributed it entirely to the 

 ravages of the wire-worm, but afterwards was convinced of being 

 mistaken as to the one on the clover-le}'. In this there was no 

 appearance of thinness of plant when the snow went away. After- 

 wards there was, for some time, severe frost with very high wind, 

 without any snow on the ground ; thus the mould on the highest 



