100 



Report on Spring-soion Wheats in 1873. 



Fig. 2. — Biddies 

 Imperial Wheat. 



autumn is about 45 acres, and in the spring about 10 acres after roots fed 

 oflf with sheep. 



We never had a finer seed-time than the autumn of 1872. The wheat 

 was planted on a clover-lea that bad been ploughed up for some six weeks 

 before it was wanted, and, in consequence, the land had become firm and 

 mellow. And about the middle of October, our usual time of sowing autumn 

 wheat, we had just the right quantity of rain to make the land work well ; 

 and, everything being ready, the drill went to work, and the seed went into 

 the ground in first-rate condition, and came up a fine, even, healthy plant, 

 which looked well all the winter, but suffered somewhat from the ravages of 

 the wire-worm before the land became dry enough in February to admit of its 

 being pressed down with a heavy roller. After that had 

 been done the crops went on well. Our spring wheat — 

 10 acres — was sown early in the month of February 1873, 

 and that month being dry, with light frosts at night, the 

 land worked well, and the seed came up as well as I 

 could desire, and, I believe, produced quite as good a 

 cro}? as that sown in the autumn ; but, as a rule, I get 

 the best results from autumn-sown wheat. 



The kinds of wheat we generally sow in the autumn 

 are Hallett's Pedigree, Hunter's, a white wheat with 

 long, stiff straw, hardy, and very productive (and much 

 liked by the millers), and Biddle's Imperial (Fig. 2), 

 a first-class red wheat, rather a dwarf variety, but 

 yielding well, and a good miller's wheat. 



For spring sowing I prefer Hunter's White or Eed 

 Nursery, but either of the varieties I have named wili 

 answer equally well for either winter or spring culture, 

 provided the sowing takes place not later than the 

 month of February. After that time April wheat, or 

 barley, I think, will be safer. 



The cultivation in spring consists of hand-hoeing, 

 and afterwards harrowing in dry weather, to kill the 

 weeds cut off by the hoe, and afterwards rolling, to 

 make all smooth for the reaping-machine. 



Our harvest commenced the 10th of August, the 

 weather being warm, with brilliant sunshine, which 

 enabled us to finish the harvest quickly, the whole 

 being secured in fine condition. 



We have not yet commenced threshing wheat, so 

 that I cannot say for a certainty how it Avill yield ; but, 

 from the cold sunless summer, I am pretty clear the yield will be found 

 under an average. 



Jonx Cobban. 



5. Sutton, Elton, Nottinghamshire. 



(120 acres of Arable and 80 acres Grass.) 



Soih — I have in my arable land limestone, clay, red marl, and about 25 

 acres of black or moor land. I work it on the six-course system (except the 

 black land, where I grow mangolds every fourth year), viz. five crops and a 

 fallow, which I find the most profitable, having at one time tried con- 

 tinuous cropping, doing away with fallow. I abandoned it, as I find I can 

 grow more on an average of years by dead fallowing every sixth year, and I 

 have very much decreased my labour account. I found it impossible to keep 



