^8 Report on Spring-soion Wheats in 1873. 



About one-third of the land is sown with wheat in the autumn ; none in 

 the spring, as a rule. But the autumn of 1872 being very wet, and the 

 seed-time bad, some of the seed-wheat perished, much came up very thin, 

 and the plant was altogether deficient. 



Only two acres, however, were sown in spring, this being where the 

 autumn-sown had perished. 



The seed sown was chiefly " Chidham," and " Eough Chaff" in the autumn. 

 The two acres in the spring were drilled (14th February, 1873) with Chidham 

 wheat, which was cut very green. Some ears and grains are enclosed. The 

 yield is very bad, the spring wheat producing only 16 bushels, and the 

 autumn Avheat only 24 bushels per acre. 



One-third of the land was manured for wheat ; and two-thirds for the pre- 

 ceding crop, with London dung, stall-fed dung, and stable-dung, all of first- 

 rate quality. 



The harvest was early ; I began reaping wheat 28th July, and finished 

 2nd August (labourers being very abundant). It was harvested well, is of 

 exceedingly fine quality, and weighs 66 lbs. per bushel. 



Charles S. Cantkell. 



3. Lynch Farm, Medhurst. 



(230 acres Arable, 230 acres i^ermanent Pasture, 40 acres Hops, with some 

 "Wood-land, and a Sheep-down of 80 acres.) 



The Soil varies very much. Near the down, which is the highest and most 

 southern part of the farm, the soil is a light chalk, on a chalk subsoil. From 

 this point it slopes towards the north, from near the highest point of the 

 South-down range to the valley of the Eiver Bother. Next is a belt of grey 

 chalk covered with a grey chalk soil, then grey marl, and beds of the Upper 

 Greensand, covered with a strong black clayey soil, very difficult to work, wet 

 and stickey. Next comes the malm rock or rocks of the Upper Greensand, 

 covered with a free working soil ; this was very wet before draining ; in fine 

 dry summers productive, in wet ones the reverse. Then comes a soil made up 

 of a mixture of malm with the Gault, on the side joining the malm, and below 

 this Gault, mixed with a drift of chalk and chalk flints, very wet sticky land, 

 difficult to till. Next to this is the Lower Gault clay (yellow), partially 

 covered with a tender loam, varying in thickness from a few inches to one or 

 two feet, very wet, and difficult to drain. 



The Climate is mild and wet, nearly 40 inches of rain annually (a gauge is 

 kept on the farm). Wet is the great drawback on this land. Naturally a 

 retentive soil, with a northern aspect, it suffers from an excess of wet ; hence 

 in very dry years the corn is good, but the reverse in wet. 



The notation is irregular ; it has been found very difficult to adhere to one. 

 The cropping is governed by circumstances. 



From 60 to 80 acres of wheat ai'e sown annually, as a rule in autumn. 

 Some Aj^ril wheat has been sown at times by the present occupier since 1856, 

 once as late as the 23rd May, on the malm land, which grew a fair crop. 

 This was quite an exception, it was only done to finish a field. 



The autumn of 1872 was very wet ; and only 20 acres were sown. Part of a 

 field was then sown with wheat (the Fenton) ; the remainder of this field, and 

 parts of two others, were sown in the spring of 1873, in April, with the 

 bearded April wheat, which is expected to yield, from the appearance, a 

 better crop than the autumn sown (none yet threshed). 



About 25 acres were thus left unsown with wheat in 1872-3, and about 

 30 acres were so^vn with April wheat in the s^mng of 1873. 



