Agriculture of Shropshire. 55 



weeks) before being sown. The latest sown wheat generally 

 answers best, hence November and December are the principal 

 months for sowing. Towards the west of the district the climate 

 is not so favourable, and an earlier sowing is preferred. Here, 

 also, the red wheats are adhered to, but in other parts all the best 

 varieties of white wheat have been successfully grown. The 

 quality of the corn is exceedingly good ; but still the average is 

 not equal to what such land would yield in the east of England. 

 A crop of 48 bushels is rare. I have known this quantity occa- 

 sionally grown, still even 40-bushel crops are confined to the 

 best land, and the average over the best portions of this district 

 cannot be set down as above 35 bushels. Pressing is almost in- 

 variably admitted to be of great importance upon land to be 

 sown with wheat, unless it is of an adhesive nature. Various 

 expedients are adopted for effecting this, but it is generally done 

 by a regular land-presser. I have seen it done with one of Cross- 

 kill's rollers, for which purpose every alternate ring was taken 

 off and a washer substituted ; thus the pressers were kept 9 inches 

 from centre to centre. Two of the rings were fixed outside the 

 frame, thus increasing the width covered by the implement, and 

 enabling 12 acres to be rolled instead of 10 acres. 



Where the land becomes heavier than usual, there the water- 

 furrows are always carefully attended to, and the neatness in 

 which much of the land sown with wheat is finished off is most 

 commendable. I am well aware of the many objections raised 

 to this passage of water over the surface. Certain advantages 

 are pointed out as arising from a passage of water through the 

 soil — doubtless of great importance if they can be realized — but 

 the least observant must be aware of the manner in which clay 

 soils shrink on drying and expand again when wet. This is 

 familiarly shown in the cracks of our clay-fields in the summer ; 

 as these soils become dry so there are a number of passages for 

 water into the soil, but as soon as the rain falls — and even fre- 

 quently before this, if the air is damp — the swelling of the clay 

 closes up the apertures, and the result is that the water stagnates 

 on the surface for a time, unless it has water-furrows to carry 

 it off. I have seen some rather strong land in some parts of 

 this district laid perfectly flat (but such land has in each case 

 been freely and deeply cultivated with plenty of decaying manure 

 in it), still I cannot say that I consider it a preferable plan for 

 general adoption upon land of this class. At any rate, there is 

 strong evidence in favour of the practice of surface-drains. It 

 is scarcely necessary for me to add that these remarks are not 

 intended in any way to interfere with the question of under- 

 drainage, which is perfectly independent. 



