Report on Spring-soicn Wheats in 1873. 103 



vated land in our district, and they said they never saw such wheat growing 

 in their lives. This wheat is especially adajjted for deep soils in a high state 

 of cultivation, where it is liable to lodge. Its characteristics are uncommon, 

 stiffness of straw of medium length, and fine, bold, thick-set heads ; and, being 

 a wheat- that tillers little, it will, where the land is deep and fertile, stand wdth 

 the ears nearly touching each other. It grows a bright golden straw, and 

 requires thick seeding, being rather short-strawed, and not tillering. I sowed 

 one piece in February ; it was only a few days after the autumn-sown, and a 

 very fair crop. 



Collard's red, from Mr. Collard, Isle of Thanet, is an excellent wheat, and, 

 since I introduced it into Notts, it has been one of the wheats most culti- 

 vated here (Fig. 4). It is a red-chaifed wheat, very hardy, growing a long, 

 strong straw, fine long head of excellent quality, and holding its own against 

 most others. 



Banham's Browick red is a very hardy wheat,' but not much cultivated, on 

 account of its being open-clefted and rather coarse in quality ; it grows a long, 

 stiff straw, does not lodge, and answers admirably where land is stiff and 

 liable to bake after excessive wet ; it is very prolific. It is greatly cultivated 

 in Bedfordshire. 



Hallett's Pedigree Golden Drop. I have cultivated Major Hallett's latest 

 selection of red wheat three years. It is a wonderful wheat to tiller ; grows 

 a strong medium straw ; and, although the head is rather thinly tedded (Fig. 5), 

 it is very prolific, growing plump grain. The millers with us object to it 

 on account of its dampness, which makes it difficult to break. It is of good 

 quality, and I think seldom makes more than Is. per quarter less than other 

 kinds of red, and is becoming greatly cultivated with us, being hardy and 

 very prolific. 



Eldred's Prolific White-chaffed variety is the largest cultivated of any in 

 our district, and approaches the nearest to Scholey's Square-head I have seen. 

 It is especially adapted to low lands, or where the land grows too much straw. 

 It grows a strong, bright straw, like reed, is of very good quality, and grows 

 a thick long head. It is an early variety, and will do sown as late as the 

 end of February, 



These are the wheats I cultivated last year. They were all very good for 

 the unpi'opitious season, I have said nothing that is new to any practical 

 farmer. It is the province of every tiller of the soil to watch and humour his 

 land, and experience will soon teach him the best time of seeding and cultiva- 

 tion. In our district a seed-time about the third week in October to the third 

 week in November suits our land best. 



I tried Major Hallett's system as recommended by him with some of his 

 own wheat; sowing half the field about the 1st of October and the other half 

 the first week in November. That put in the 1st October I drilled at the 

 rate of 4 to 5 pecks per acre. It tillered wonderfully, the ears were of great 

 length, and the straw was 3 to 4 inches longer ; but the straw was speckled 

 and unhealthy, and when threshed, although there was a much greater bulk 

 of straw, it yielded considerably less than that put in in November at the rate 

 of 8 pecks per acre. The straw of this was shorter and brighter, the flags all 

 dropped off, and when we carted it, to use my men's own expression, it was as 

 slippery as glass. The other retained a lot of its flag, which showed an 

 unhealthy state ; it was sown on a low mixed soil, and excellent wheat-land, 

 I have no doubt early sowing may answer on chalk or high heath lands, but it 

 does not answer on ours. Our clays are of a good description, with a fair 

 depth of soil. The two last seasons the oldest and most practical men we 

 have assure me have been the worst they ever knew. This year the crop 

 will be fully one quarter per acre below the average ; and I should say 3 

 quarters per acre is the utmost that the crop of 1873 will yield. 



