396 



Report on Prize- Wheats. 



from which four pieces were measured of exactly ll acre each, 

 1 acre of each piece being manured with seven large cart-loads of 

 dung, and the remaining J acre in each with liquid manure mixed 

 with decomposed peat, at the rate of about 100 bushels per acre, 

 the object being the trial of the manure as well as the wheats.* 



The Champion red wheat. No. 4, and the Burwell red wheat, 

 No, 3, were drilled on the 20th of October. The white wheats — 

 the Belle- Vue Talavera, and the Chidham Nos. 1 and 2 — were 

 drilled on the 22nd of October ; some Silver-drop of my own 

 seed, and some Chidham also, being drilled on the side of the 

 prize-wheats. 



The Chidham came up first ; the Silver-drop about the same 

 time; and the red wheats, being on the heaviest land in the field, 

 did not appear well up till the 11th of November, and then not 

 a full plant ; the Talavera did not make its appearance at all, 

 and, such was the continued rain, that it was found impossible to 

 get on the ground to re-plant it, though several attempts were 

 made. The land soon swarmed with slugs, which, in spite of all 

 our efforts, destroyed a great number of the plants on the best and 

 heaviest part of the ground, so that in the spring it was considered 

 doubtful whether it was worth leaving for a crop. Early in the 

 spring the Talavera was again drilled, and the Chidham, part 

 dibbled in patches where it required as well as we could, the hope 

 of any report being entirely given up ; but the Champion and 

 Burwell red wheats (I having no more of the same seed) were 

 weeded and suffered to grow on till harvest, with all the injuries 

 sustained by the crop that I have described. The red wheats 

 came into bloom about the 16th of June, and the Burwell wheat 

 was reaped on the 1st of August, the Champion three days after. 

 The produce is as follows, and a fine sample: — 



* I may mention that the trial of the two sorts of manure was also un- 

 satisfactory from the same cause as the crop above mentioned ; but in the 



