60 THE CHEMISTRY OF THE FARM. 



place more slowly than in an average season. In the case 

 of extremely cold and cloudy summers the whole season 

 may be too short for maturing the crop, and the seed in 

 consequence may never be fully ripened. Early sowing 

 is generally advisable, as a longer period for growth is 

 thus afforded to the crop. 



As the character of the season determines the degree 

 of maturity reached at harvest, it has a great influence 

 both on the composition and quality of the crop. A 

 fine malting barley, rich in starch, can only be produced 

 in a fine season; any imperfect ripening, produced either 

 by cold, wet weather, or by the premature drying of the 

 grain during severe drought, will result in the production 

 of grain poor in starch and relatively rich in nitrogenous 

 matter. The effect of season on the composition of a crop 

 will be found further discussed on pp. 14, and 92-94. 



Each crop requires more or less a different climate 

 for its perfect development ; a knowledge of the kind of 

 climate best suited to each crop is of great service in 

 selecting crops for any particular district. Thus wheat 

 requires hot and dry weather for its ripening period, 

 while oats will ripen in a moist atmosphere. Mangels 

 require heat, and can resist drought, while turnips de- 

 velop best in a cool, moist air. Oats and turnips thus 

 best suit the Scotch climate, while wheat and mangels 

 are better fitted for the south-east of England. 



The soil best furnished with plant food is the one 

 which will yield the best results in adverse seasons, the 

 crop having a greater amount of vitality and being able 

 to turn to the best advantage the short periods of favour- 

 able weather that may occur. Poor soils yield their best 

 results in seasons of slow but continued growth, the crop 



