Report on Spring-sown Wheats in 1873. 



121 



Fig. 11.— Bough Fig. 12. — 

 Chaff Talavcra. Burmah. 



hi 



X% 



It has always been the practice on this farm to sow wheat from October to 

 March. In 36 years, therefore, I have had some experience, and, having 

 constantly seen such contradictory results, 

 I now sow when convenient, as well as I 

 know how, and trust to Providence for the 

 reaping. 



The proportion usually sown in the autumn 

 is about two-thirds ; last autumn I was able 

 to get in only about half. I have not known 

 such a wet season since 1860, when I had 

 to leave 30 acres of clover lea, and it was 

 not sown till the 1st February, but it pro- 

 duced the best crop of that year — 40^ 

 bushels per acre. Not so, however, this 

 year, as 27 acres in the adjoining field, 

 under precisely the same conditions, will 

 not, I expect, produce 16 bushels per acre. 

 So much for seasons. Not having thrashed 

 much, I cannot give you actual results, ex- 

 cepting as to two small pieces. I send you 

 two ears of the Buraiah wheat, and two 

 ears of the Eough Chaff Talavera ; the 

 former you will find is 5 set, which is very 

 rare this year. I, however, found much 

 of it thus, and I have one ear grown in 

 1870 which is 6 set, and contains 97 grains. 

 The latter I have also a very high opinion 

 of, but this is the first crop I have grown 

 of it, and not under advantageous circum- 

 stances. On the whole I think it was a 

 most unfavourable year for spring-sown 

 wheats ; the sodden state of the ground, 

 followed by a dry cold spring, could have 

 but one efi'ect on the wheat crop generally, 

 and that a very bad one. Threshing, I hear 

 all round, has proved so very disappointing, 

 that I dare not give an estimate of my 

 unthreshed com, but feel certain the result 

 will be very unsatisfactory. 



F. SHEKBORjr. 



2. WOODCOTE, NEAR CaBSHALTON, SuRBET. 



(640 acres, Arable.) 



Soil. — A light sandy loam on chalk. 



Rotation. — Hitherto we have had no particular rotation, having been guided 

 by circumstances; at present we adopt the four- and six-course systems. 



135 to 150 acres of wheat were autumn-sown, from beginning of November 

 to middle or end of January. 



Excessive and continual wet prevented us from getting in the usual 

 quantity, and even on this light soil the tramp of the horses' feet formed pans 

 in which water stood all winter, rotting the young germ ; the consequence- 

 was a deficiency of plant from the commencement, resulting in one of the- 

 shortest crops ever grown. 



About 43 acres were left unsown till spring. 



