86 Report on Sprin(/-sown Wheats in 1873. 



3. Rectory Farm, Loughton, Bucks. 

 (About 220 acres Arable, 80 Pasture.) 



Soil. — Chiefly clay, with chalkstone in subsoil. 



Botation. — No regular system followed, but on the portion best suited for 

 turnips, a five-course shift generally practised. 



75 to 80 acres of wheat are annually sown ; all in autumn, if possible. 



The difficulties of wheat seeding in the autumn of 1872 were so great, and 

 the utter impossibility of getting on with that or any other kind of work on 

 the land, either with horses or steam, such that I threw up the farm in disgust. 

 For three or four weeks, in order to fetch up arrears, if a chance should offer, I 

 kept on the place Fowler's double set of steam cultivating machinery, and 

 also Smith's single engine tackle. Throughout the whole period I think 

 we never made more tlian one whole day's work ; and what we did, owing 

 to the rain falling on it immediately after it was moved, was irretrievably 

 damaged for the time as regarded ulterior operations. Only one field, 

 consisting of 23 acres, was planted in anything like a satisfactory form. 

 Another piece, of 17 acres, was, after smashing up, sown broadcast, and 

 the harrows smeared it over, some of the seed being nearly a foot deep, 

 and some sticking on the top. One or two pieces were sown broad-cast and 

 ploughed in. All was " mauled" in somehow during the winter, except 17 

 acres, which were left until the spring. Of these, 10 acres were sown on 

 21st February with Golden Drop, at the rate of 2 bushels per acre, and 7 

 acres were sown, 22nd February, with Eivett's. I should not have ventured 

 to sow this kind, but the seed had been dressed with Down's Farmer's Friend 

 in October, and I determined that at any risk it should be sown. Owing 

 probably to the length of time it had been dressed, and the wretched 

 manner in which it was then got in — not more than half a crop came up 

 — I resolved to go to no expense with it except hoeing, at the same time 

 booking it as worthless. Contrary to expectation, it ripened fully and kindly, 

 but not so early as if it had been thicker on the gi'ound. I cut it, and 

 threshed it as I carried it, about the middle of September, with the result of 

 about 2^ quarters of good plump grain. With a full plant, I think there 

 would have been 5 or 6 quarteis. I could not have expected nrore, as the 

 land was poor, and it was the last crop of the shift. 



The Golden Drop was got in somewhat better, and came up a moderately 

 good plant. It ajipeared to ripen very kindly until two or three days before 

 reaping, when the straw became very much mildewed and discoloured, having 

 a red appearance. The grain, however, did not seem to suffer, but is of nice 

 quality. The ears, however, are small; and I estimate the yield when 

 threshed to be about 3 quarters per acre. At the time of hoeing, it looked so 

 sickly that I thought it would haidly be worth harvesting. 



None of my wheat received this year any top-dressing, but all that was 

 drilled was once or twice hoed. 



Harvest was later than usual, and, after the first week, very catching ; but 

 sunshine followed shower in such quick succession that no damage beyond 

 delay was caused. The 17 acres referred to as having been scratched in after 

 steam culture was decidedly the best on the farm, and yielded exactly 

 4 quarters of white rough chaff. I do not expect more than 3 quarters from 

 any other portion. A wet season is always fatal to the wheat crop on this 

 land, no matter how promising it may look, and whatever the bulk of 

 straw. 



F. BiGNAIiL, 



