THE WHEAT CULTURIST. 131 



light, and all marly and calcareous soils, if in \ roper 

 condition, will give a good yield of wheat." 



In D. P. Gardner's Farmer's Dictionary, the author 

 says : " Wheat thrives best on heavy soils." 



The author of the Practical Farmer says : " Wheat 

 succeeds best on stout loams." 



In Stevens's Book of the Farm — an English work — 

 the writer says : " Unless soil possesses a certain degree 

 of firmness, that is, contains some clay, it is not con 

 sidered adapted to the growth of wheat. At least, it is 

 considered more profitable to sow barley upon it." 

 (Eead about Improving Soils for Wheat, in chapter on 

 Soils, in the second volume of my Young Farmer's 

 Manual.) 



A practical farmer of Central New York wrote to one 

 of the agricultural papers thus : " A firm, fertile, and 

 dry soil is particularly adapted to wheat, and such soils 

 as have been under-drained are more productive, and 

 require much less manure. Wheat, whether winter or 

 spring, does best in soils in which there is a good por- 

 tion of clay. When the soil is composed for the most 

 part of muck, as occurs in many places in New York, 

 Canada, and some of the Western States, it requires 

 much preparation before it will produce well ; and such 

 soils can only be made to yield heavy crops of wheat, 

 with profit, when clay, in some form, can be supplied." 



Wheat on Clay Loam. 



The author penned the following article for the "In- 

 dependent," soon after he assumed the editorial charge 

 of the agricultural department of that paper : 



Wheat, especially winter grain, requires a firm soil. 



