166 THE WHEAT CULTUBI8T. 



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smattering of agricultural chemistry, understands what 

 he may do with the assurance of success, by way of pre- 

 venting his cereal grain from lodging. If the soil be 

 light and filled with humus, attach a double or triple 

 team to a strong plough, and turn up a new soil, which 

 will furnish to the growing plants the desired material 

 for making stiff straw. If the grain lodges on sandy 

 land, let the ground be dressed with a liberal supply of 

 marl or clay. 'Does the grain fall down where there is 

 a preponderance of clay, apply a dressing of muck, sand, 

 or peat. Whatever the soil may be, or whatever dress- 

 ing may be applied, let it be borne in mind that wood- 

 ashes, either leached or unleached, will make stiffer and 

 brighter straw, and larger and heavier kernels of grain, 

 tli an would have grown on the same ground had no 

 wood-ashes been applied. These are incontrovertible 

 facts which are not required to be established by agri- 

 cultural chemistry. Those farmers, therefore, who sow 

 their wood-ashes on their fields, where the growing 

 grain is liable to fall down before it is ripe, will usually 

 realize a larger profit per bushel than they are accus- 

 tomed to receive when they sell their ashes for cash. 

 Ashes may be sowed at almost any period after the 

 growing season has commenced ; but the effect will be 

 more satisfactory if they be sowed soon after the seed 

 grain is put in. 



How to obtain Stronger Stems. 



Prof. J. B. Lawes, of Rothhamsted, Eng., says that he 

 has tried the experiment of sowing seed early — the last 

 of August — and feeding with sheep during winter and 

 spring, checking thereby the leaf and stem, and extend- 



