Report on Spring-sown Wheats in 1873. 



89' 



Fig. 1. — Essex Bough Chaff. 



w 



w 



casting lOj acres on the -llth, but foundjt would not do. All this wheat did 

 badly, although top-dressed with 1 cwt. of nitrate and 1 cwt. guano. AVe have 

 threshed 10 acres, and find the yield only 

 20 bushels j^er acre. 



On the 12th November another field was 

 tried ; could sow only 2 acres, wet coming 

 on. This field ^^■as finished on 19th Febniaiy, 

 1873, the seed, which was pickled, having been 

 saved for the purpose. The 2 acres and the 

 (j acres were cut together on the 30th 

 August ; the autumn-sown being over ripe, 

 and in appearance the better crop, the straw 

 and ear being longer. All had been top- 

 dressed. It was threshed 26th November, 

 1873, and yielded 29 bushels per acre. 



The following are our Memoranda : — On 

 21st February, 1873, drilled Essex white 

 wheat after beans. Top-dressed. Cut 2nd 

 September. Poor crop in appearance. — 22nd 

 February, drilled 16 acres Eivett's after beans 

 and vetches. This was the fullest crop we 

 had. It was cut on the 17th September; 

 ripe a week or ten days earlier, but weather 

 bad. A part was thrashed, yielding 40 

 bushels per acre. — On 5th March drilled 

 13 acres of Talavera after clover eaten on 

 by sheep with cake and corn. Bad crop : 

 probable yiekl, IS bushels. — On 24th March 

 drilled 24 acres Bedford white after roots. 

 Crop thin, but healthy : probable yield, 30 

 bushels per acre. This seed was brought 

 from the chalk, and sown in the autumn of 

 1871, yielding 36 bushels per acre. It is a 

 fine white variety, but I do not know its Spring sown. Autumn sown. 



proper name. 



As a general rule we find the Essex Rough Chaff white to yield best on this 

 farm, though liable to mildew. Hunter's white and Victoria are good varieties, 

 also ihe Browick red. Any of these sorts sown early in the spring on goal 

 land do well, and ripen about ten days later than autumn-sown. 



Ou this farm I do not like sowing later than about the first ten days ini 

 November ; but many of my neighbours, who have free- working soil, sow from. 

 October to March, whenever the land will work. Late sowing is more 

 practised than it used to be, I prefer sowing strong land as early as possible, 

 say from 10th October to 7th November, increasing quantity of seed from G 

 pecks to 8 ; and in spring from beginning of February to middle of March, 

 using 9 or 10 pecks of seed, and of Talavera 12 or 14 pecks. 



\Vheat is taken after beans, peas, vetches, clover (bastard fallowed), roots, 

 and sometimes oats, Foldyard-mauure is usually applied to the previous crops-; 

 and where crops look weak they are top-dressed. When wheat is foul with 

 annuals it is hoed, and is always looked over for thistles and docks, A much 

 larger breadth of wheat is sown in this neighbourhood than there would be if 

 there were no malt-tax to hinder the sale of stained barley. Even reaping and 

 tying the barley does not meet the difficulty and loss. If all strong land 

 autumn-sown wheat yields no better than mine, and I know no reason why 

 it should, there must have been a great deficiency and loss last year. Not only 

 is the yield poor, but the weight is light. 



Ct. a. May. 



