Report on Spring-soicn JVheats in lb 73. 93 



as a rule, was governed nearly as much by the condition of Fand as by the 

 season ; and in highly-cultivated soils I think the largest and best crops are 

 grown from sowing about two or three weeks before Christmas. When got in 

 earlier there is always the danger of getting winter-j^roud. 



Too vigorous growth in the winter months always with me means an indif- 

 ferent crop at harvest ; and, as a matter of fact, the fields which exhibit least 

 promise all the winter turn out best. Knowing this, I now use nitrate of 

 soda in preference to guano, taking care to apply it as late as it is safe to do 

 GO — well on in April. 



As to rotations, and the wheat-growing power of the stronger soils, I am of 

 opinion that, with exceptionally clean cultivation and deep ploughing, it is 

 ■quite possible to grow wheat every j^ear for an almost unlimited time. I have 

 myself tried the experiment, and grew 5 quarters to the acre the last of seven 

 wheat crops in succession. 



J. C. Sheekard. 



10. MiLCOTE, Stratford-ok-Avox. 

 (37i acres, of which 26-i are Arable and 110 Permanent Pasture.) 



The Soil. — About half is heavy clay, or wheat and bean land ; the rest light 

 ■gravel or turnip soil. 



notation. — Variable. The sis-course rotation is adopted. 



I do not, as a rule, plant any spring wheat, unless it be a few acres instead, 

 of barley after the sheep. 



The difficulties to be contended with in the seed-time of 1872 were the 

 wet and tough nature of the land, rendering the use of a large drill impossible. 

 All my wheat was planted consequently with a three-fuiTow drill. 



But all the land intended for wheat was planted; although some of it was 

 rather late. The extent of spring wheat was about 30 acres. 



I only used one kind of wheat either in winter or spring, viz. Kentish High- 

 back or Golden Drop. The yield in this case was 36 bushels per acre. I never 

 •manure for wheat, but generally hoe it once or twice as time serves. 



There was very little difference between winter and spring-sown wheats as 

 to period of maturity at harvest-time. The com was harvested from the 

 -middle of August to the middle of September. 



I have only threshed 18 acres of winter-sown wheat, which yielded 30 

 (bushels, and 5 of spring, which yielded 36 bushels per acre. 



JoHX C. Adkixs. 



11. Vandyke Court, Pershore. 

 (350 acres — a fourth part Pasture and Meadow Land.) 



Soil. — Part clay, part deep loam, part light sand, and part gravelly soil. 



I usually plant about 100 acres of wheat, two- thirds in autumn and the 

 remainder in the spring. Owing to the continued wet weather in the autumn 

 •of 1872 I only planted about 10 acres, most of which perished in the ground, 

 so that I drilled across it in the spring. The second week in January, 1878, 

 I commenced planting again, and in a very short time put in about 40 to 50 

 •acres with the Improved Browick red wheat. The weather was remarkably 

 'fine and open afterwards ; it soon germinated, and in a little time made its 

 appearance above ground. From the time of its coming up till the time it was 

 Teaped no wheat could have gone on more satisfactorily. It averaged about 



