THE WHEAT CULTUKIST. 221 



WHEAT ON LIGHT SANDY LOAM. 



In order to raise a fair crop of wheat on sandy loam 

 soils, it becomes necessary to exercise no little judgment 

 in preparing the soil in the best manner for this kind of 

 grain. The element lacking mostly is alumina, which 

 is found in the loam. In many instances, the sandy loam 

 is only four to eight or ten inches in depth, resting on a 

 deep stratum of excellent yellow-clay loam. By bring- 

 ing up two or three inches in depth of this yellow-clay 

 loam, and mingling it with the fine sandy loam on the 

 surface, a fine seed-bed will be prepared for wheat. 

 Then, by adopting a rotation of crops, such as Indian 

 corn one season, oats or barley, potatoes and turnips, 

 and red clover one or two seasons, with a dressing of 

 rich sheep manure, a bountiful crop of fine wheat can 

 be raised with little difficulty. 



On certain fields, the sandy loam is sometimes so deep 

 that it will not be practicable to reach the substratum 

 of clay loam with a common plough, or even with a sub- 

 soil plough. But bear in mind the suggestion, that the 

 sandy loam requires a little clay to give the soil solidity 

 and firmness. The correct mode of procedure in such 

 instances, is, to plough the sandy loam in late autumn, 

 turn under a coat of red clover if convenient, or a thin 

 dressing of compost, or both, unless the soil is unusually 

 fertile ; then when the ground is frozen, cart or haul on 

 muck and clay, and spread it thin over the entire field. 

 Fifty two-horse loads of muck, and fifty more two-horse 

 loads of pure clay, or heavy clay loam transported from 

 some distant clay-bed, and spread evenly in the winter, 

 would make a seed-bed for wheat of fine tilth, which 

 could scarcely fail to render a light sandy loam eminently 



