88 Report on Sprinr/sow?: IJlicats in 1873. 



the slugs, prevented anything worth calling a plant appearing above the- 

 surface. 



The most noticeable feature in my unfortunate experience of the year is, 

 that Piivett's wheat, sown the 15th of March, produced a better crop than the 

 remainder of the field, and the quality was superior — of the kind — to any of 

 the spring-sown ; being about equal to the aveiage of autumn-sown. 



I give one circumstance to show that not only does a season like the past 

 produce bad crops, but that even the best are most injuriously affected. In 

 1870, the best wheat year I ever had, I found, in the best crop of the 

 season (Langham red) a remarkably fine ear, 100 corns from which I planted 

 in the garden, each separately. The produce was again planted, after the rate 

 of 1 peck per acre. And the return from this was drilled in November of 

 last year 10 inches apart ; a little more than a bushel per acre being so^vn 

 on 42 acres ; a piece of clay, early broken-up land, in very good condition, being 

 selected. At harvest the crop was equal in appearance to that of 1870, from 

 which it was originally taken. But whilst the crop of 1870 produced 7 

 quarters per acre, that "of last season produced but 4^ quarters per acre. 

 The only circumstance, beyond the character of the season, to account for the 

 discrepancy was that the crop of 1870 was grown upon rather the better 

 wheat soil. 



Supposing the land I was able to sow in the autumn of last year had been 

 left until the spring, it could have been got in the latter end of February 

 with a much better seed-bed than the breadth actually sown in the spring 

 had, and though the quality might have suffered, I believe the produce would 

 have been greater. The great deficiency to be found on examination in the 

 best autumn-sown ear, was not nearly so apparent in the sjiring-sown. 



There is, of course, always a risk to run as to whether wheat sown in the 

 spring will ripen properly. This season, considering all circumstances, it did 

 so very well. I may add that, as far as produce per acre is concerned, this i& 

 the worst wheat season 1 have had during the last 15 years. 



Henry A. Bottle. 



5. Elford Park, near Tamworth. 

 (364 acres Grass, 280 Arable.) 



Soil. — Principally strong loam on marl. 



BotatiGii. — White straw and green crops alternately. 



About 70 acres of autumn and 30 of spring wheat were sown in 1872-3. 

 We take spring wheat in lieu of barley in consequence of the malt-tax; 

 barley being apt to get lodged or stained by rain. 



13^ acres were drilled on November 9th and 10th, 1872 ; 10^ were broad- 

 casted November 11th ; 2 acres were drilled November 11th ; 26 acres in all 

 being autumn-sown. 



About 45 acres in all were left unsown in 1872, which had been intended for 

 wheat. Altogether about 68 acres of wheat were spring-sown in 1873. 



The sorts sown were Essex Bough Chaff white (Fig. 1), 361 acres; Bed- 

 ford (chalk), 32 acres ; Talavera, 13 acres ; Eivett's, 16 acres. 



All the autumn wheat and some of the spring-sown was top-dressed with 

 nitrate of soda, guano, and supeqihosphate of hme. 



We began cutting oats on 6th August ; wheat on the 13th ; finishing harvest 

 23rd September. 



The autumn of 1872 was too wet to get on the land. We drilled (vevy 

 badly) on 9th and 10th November 13| acres Essex wheat ; and tried broad- 



