10 Cultivation of Arable Land. JVheat. Soils proper for . 



been fovvn in the fpring as Egyptian or Siberian barley, under which name it was 

 introduced into this country in the year 1767*.&quot; 



&quot; The Rev. Dr. Pike has fown it as fpring corn in the middle of April, and has 

 had above four quarters per acre. It was on very good land, and kept perfectly 

 clean from weeds. If it be truly a native of Egypt, he fhould have judged, that a 

 light but very rich foil might have been mod proper for it : neverthelefs, he thinks 

 he has found, that (like Englifh rivets) ftrong land fuits it bed. It gives a very 

 bold, plump, found grain, of a good colour. He cannot think that it is the fame 

 as the Siberian wheat (or barley, as fomehave called it). The grains do not an- 

 fwer the defcription which fome authors give of that fpecies. That was, he fays, 

 introduced into this country about the year which Dr. Wilkinfon mentions : but 

 this was known here at leaft above 1 20 years before ; for he has found a fhort def 

 cription, and a tolerably good figure, of it in Parkinfon, page 1120, under the 

 name of Triticum multiplici fpicd. In the figure, its very remarkable diftinction 

 from all other forts -is well exprefled, by a number of fhort ears growing out of the 

 lides of the chief ears. He calls it in Englifh double-eared wheat, and fays that it 

 grows about Lyons in Francef.&quot; 



Common wheat is a kind of grain found from experience to fucceed in general to 

 moft advantage on fuch foils as are of the more deep, ftrong, and fertile nature; 

 but where the fuperficial parts are not fo ftifF or adhefive as to be incapable of 

 falling down or breaking into a fine ftate. It may, however, be grown on the 

 lighter defcriptions of land, and in many inftances afford good crops, though it 

 has been well remarked by a practical writer, that, when introduced on fuch foils 

 as are very light, whether of the fandy, gravelly, or chalky kind, a practice too 

 common in moft diftricts where they prevail, great lofs muft be fuftained in a na- 

 jtional point of view, from fuch lands being more adapted to the production of other 

 forts of crops ,*J 



Wheat is the fort of grain moft generally fown where the land has received 

 the preparation of a complete fummer fallowing; but it is probable that, except 

 in particular kinds of land, as thcfe of the ftifF clayey nature, and under particu 

 lar circumftances, as where they are moift, and have much tendency to the 

 throwing up of weeds, jj it may Li: grown to much more advantage after many 



* Monthly Magazine, Vol. XVI. p. 132. 

 f Ibid. 



+ Donaldfon s Modern Agriculture, p. 

 II Seftion on Fallowing of Land. 



