Reiwrt on Sprinc/soicn Wheats in 1873. 85 



2. EwELL Fakm, Wkst Faeleigh, near Maidstone. 



(78 acres of Arable Laud, and 28 acres of Permanent Pasture, besides Hop and 

 Fniit- and Wood-land.) 



The Soil is a stiff, clayey loam, upon the greensand formation. The 

 climate is comparatively mild, and the rainfall not usually excessive. 



notation of Crojis. — Xo regular or systematic rotation of crops is adhered 

 to. As there are nearly 100 acres of hop and fruit land upon the farm, it is 

 requisite to grow as much straw as possible, to make farmyard-manure for 

 the hop and fruit plantations ; and a wheat crop is occasionally taken out of 

 due course. The principle upon which one desires to work the farm is that 

 of the four-course rotation, with much use of catch crops of every kind for 

 soiling cattle, for feeding ewes and fattening lambs, and for ploughing in to 

 manure the land for the com crops to follow, as but little farmyard-manure 

 can be spared for the arable land. 



From 15 to 25 acres of wheat are usually sown per annum. 



Early in October, 1872, 12 acres of clover lea, which had been twice cut for 

 hay during the summer, were put in with wheat, which went in fairly well. 

 Six acres of stale ploughed land were sown in November with wheat ; this 

 went in most miserably, and ought not to have been sown at all. The horses 

 sank in the ground up to their fetlocks ; the ground was very much kneaded 

 and left in deep holes where the horses had trod, which were filled with water 

 during the winter. Very heavy rains followed the sowing, beating down the 

 land as if a heavy roller had passed over it. 



The 6 acres alluded to above were resown with spring wheat, the autumn- 

 sown wheat having rotted in the ground. 



Eed Lammas and Piough-chafi' White, from Messrs. Eaynbirds and Co., 

 Basingstoke, were sown in the autumn, mixed in equal proportions. Mixed 

 red and white wheats do well on the farm. 



Nursery wheat, from Messrs. Piaynbirds and Co., was sown in the spring. 

 This was very good seed, weighing G3 lbs. per bushel. The crop was 

 wretched ; the straw not deficient in quantity' nor short, but much blighted. 

 The com was wretchedly thin ; the ears very small and badly blighted. This 

 Avheat was sown on the 25th and 26th of March, 1873. 



Two successive green crops of mustard had been ploughed in for the 

 autumn wheat, which was replaced by the nursery wheat; there having been 

 a deal of couch, it was thought that the mustard would smother it, which 

 was the case. The autumn wheat of course took nothing out of the land, for 

 it did not come up. The land was well " Bentalled ; " 2 bushels of the 

 nursery wheat were drilled per acre, half the piece had cwts. of super- 

 phosphate per acre, the other half 4 cwts. of Odams'. No difference was 

 noticeable in the effect of the two manures. The wheat went on very well, 

 and was not hoed. 



The dates of harvest were as follows : — The autumn wheat — 12 acres-— 

 cutting began August 8, and it was carried on the 16th of August. One stack 

 thrashed out lately yielded at the rate of 4 quarters 52 bushels of head-corn 

 per acre, with a fine lot of well-grown straw. The nurser}' spring wheat was 

 cut in the last days of Aui^ust and caiTied September 5. Weather showery. 

 This wheat has not been threshed out, but it is believed that there will be no 

 head corn at all — nothing but chickens' food ; and the straw is of bad colour, 

 very much mildewed, breaking easily. 



Charles Whitehead. 



