564 Monthly Agricultural Report. [ Nov. 
the most conyenient and manageable, and that has’ always ‘worked sell; and ‘under: the 
present excitement, and in the present state of things, might be made to work equally:well 
throughout the country, as in towns or in the metropolis: ‘It is at*no rate lear to us that 
the ports would have opened for wheat had the Ministers stood netiter on the oceasion: 
The present has been both one of the latest and the earliest wheat*seed seasons within 
our recollection. In parts of the early districts, where we have seen wheat sowniin the 
last days of August, the state of the land, from drotght; retarded that! process | full a 
month: on the other land, the fine and friable tilth ‘to which’ the’ rains» hadisuddeniy 
reduced the lands in the southerly and easterly counties, where @ later practice isi expe- 
dient and customary, induced the farmer to take Old Time’ by the forelock}/and, perhaps, 
to be somewhat too adventurous. Should a mild winter suceeed, we shall see those rich 
early-sown soils grass-proud by Christmas. But it is impossible to’ guard against or pro- 
vide for all contingencies ; and, take it throughout, our wheat seed season is equal in good 
fortune, and, as regards the present general practice, we really believe, in good conduct, to 
the previous harvest. That, surely, is saying enough. arly in next month this most 
important business will, no doubt, be generally completed. The ‘young wheats never 
Jooked finer or more promising, nor ever got out of the ground ‘quicker, as faras we 
have seen. The thinnest and worst in present appearance are those prematurely sown on 
the rough and clodded surface of clay lands, before they had received moisture sufficient 
to render them friable and sound. However, if the plants stand this, they will have 
plenty of room to tillow; but as such lands were perhaps universally broad-cast, with no 
lack in quantity of seed, there ought to be good store of plants, if not ‘an even crop. 
A stronger contrast can scarcely be imagined than that between the late arid, barren, 
and contingntal appearance of our grass lands and their present luxuriance and beautiful 
verdure, in this warm and delightful autumn. Wherever we look around, we) may, with 
the utmost truth and exultation, vociferate with the London hawking gardeners, “ all 
a-growing! all a-growing!’’ There is a universal second crop of grass, and on the really 
gramineous soils, a very thick bottom: andit is held by some husbandmen, that the autumnal 
grass which springs aftera droughty season, is of superior quality to after-grass in general. 
A similar verdict may be given in favour of all the sown grasses, and of the various green 
crops intended for spring provision—rye, winter barley, rape and cole, winter tares, and 
swathes of self-sown oats and barley. A considerable portion of the turnips’ sown in 
season, and which survived the drought, will produce acrop. The fate of the latter sown 
will depend entirely on the continuance of open weather ; a few sharp frosts will ‘render 
them totally useless. The mangel wurzel, with the name of which our farmers of twenty 
years past made themselves so merry at market-dinners, styling it, in derision, “ the 
wuzzely fuzzely root,” has at length got the laugh against them, and much to théir pro- 
fit. It has withstood the drought far better than the turnips; the roots, however, are 
necessarily much lighter and less succulent than in a genial,season. On’ the whole, the 
root crops, however favourable the season, must be considerably deficient. Probably, the 
cabbage culture, on strong lands, has been much neglected of late years.’ The present 
writer, after many essays, has never been able to preserve a stack of cabbages, whieh is 
said to be successfully practised on: the Continent : the only successful plan is to choose a 
hardy species ; to make use of as great a quantity as possible, previously to the setting-in 
of the frost; and to leave the remainder to take their chance in the field, whence they 
may be taken for use, in deep snows, when no turnips can be come at. Potatoes, how- 
ever injured during their growth, will prove a sufficient supply, in point of quantity; and 
the crop may be fairly divided into halves—the one mealy and fine, the other fit only for 
pigs and for the admirers of potatoe-fed pork. 
To recur to the distress for cattle food, during the late season : we will not say it seems 
strange, being a matter in course, but most improvident and negligent, that the culture 
of lucerne is so little known or in use, upon light loams, and those soils on which it sue- 
ceeds. From the depth in the soil to which its roots penetrate, it resists drought beyond 
any other grass, retaining its luxuriance and verdure when all other grasses are burned up. 
This quality surely ought to be held inestimable, and to enforce its constant culture on all 
proper soils. In fact, every prudent farmer, as he insures his property against risk by fire, 
should likewise, as far.as thenature of the case will admit, insure hisfuture crops against at- 
mospheric risk, and his live stock against starvation. Tus, a number of acres of lucerne, in 
proportion to the extent of the farm, should be constantly under culture, as\an insurance 
crop. And considering the variety of soils, and on the ground of a necessity ‘for‘an addi- 
tion to this species of crop, Mr. Lawrence, with the assistance of Mr. Gibbs, late’ eeds— 
man to the Board of Agriculture, is endeayouring to revive the culture of the - elilot tre- 
foil, a very hardy and productive shrub, in present use on the Continent, seceding to a 
certain degree, on all soils, even the most barren; eaten green or dr by all live stock, 
and particularly affected by the horse. ‘Ihe carrot and parsnip culture is far too Tintited, 
even on the best-adapted soi!s; astore of those roots for spring use is invaluable. 
Should fortune send us a mild and grass-growing winter, it will indeed prove a 
“hedge” to the farming interest, asthe reyerse will occasion many an aching’ heart. 
From the scarcity of fodder, of hay, and of roots, a hard winter will render the support of 
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