Book VI. WHEAT. 749 



is taken to keep the land clean, and in good condition. A summer fallow once in four, 

 six, or eight years, according to seasons and circumstances, is, however, necessary ; and 

 manure should eitlier be apph'ed on that fallow for the first crop of wheat, or, what some 

 people think preferable, should be laid on the wheat-stubble for a crop of drilled beans, 

 which ensures the succeeding crop of wheat. If the first crop of beans has been com- 

 pletely cleaned, there is no difficulty of repeating, and even of extending the course ; 

 and the crops will be little inferior to those gained at the beginning of the rotation, pro- 

 vided manure has been bestowed to each crop of beans. In this way, when the ground 

 is fallowed every fourth year, two crops of wheat and one of beans are gained from 

 manuring once ; when fallowed every sixth year, three crops of wheat and two of beans 

 are gained from manuring twice ; and, when fallowed every eighth year, four crops of 

 wheat and three of beans from manuring thrice. In the first-mentioned shift, less 

 manure is bestowed than in any of the other two ; and if the soil is of good quality, it 

 will support itself; whereas, in the shifts of six and eight, unless foreign manure is pro- 

 cured, it rarely happens that they can go on successfully for any length of time, without 

 abstracting dung from other parts of the farm on which they are practised. {Brown's Tr. 

 on Rural Affairs.) 



4614. In cultivating wheat on thin clays, the rotations just mentioned are inapplicable. 

 A six-course shift of a different kind has, however, been successfully followed by many- 

 people ; but it requires every branch of the work to be well executed. 1st, a summer 

 fallow, dunged at the rate of twelve or fourteen double loads per acre ; 2d, wheat ; 

 3d, grass; 4th, oats; 5th, pease and beans drilled; 6th, wheat. If manure can be 

 given in the middle of the shift, every one of the crops may be expected good ; but if 

 that is withheld, there will necessarily be a proportionable .falling off in the two last 

 crops. Husbandmen must, however, regulate their practice according to their means ; 

 though it deserves to be remarked, that, if greater attention were paid to the collecting of 

 materials which ultimately are converted into manure, many deficiencies in the article 

 would be fully supplied. {Brown ) 



4615. Excellent wheat may be gi'own on light soils, with the exception of soft' sands. 

 Such soils, however, are not constitutionally disposed to the growth of that grain ; nor 

 will they, under any management, bear such a frequent repetition of it as those already 

 mentioned. Summer fallow on them may safely be dispensed with ; because a crop of 

 turnips, which admits every branch of the cleaning process to be more perfectly executed 

 than even a naked or bare fallow does, may be profitably substituted. Wheat here comes 

 in with propriety after turnips, though, in general cases, it must be sown in the spring 

 months, unless the turnips are stored ; in which case, it may be sown in November, or it 

 may be sown after clover, for the fourth crop after the rotation ; or in the sixth year, as a 

 way-going crop, after drilled pease and beans, if the rotation is extended to that length. 

 But, take it any way, it is scarcely possible to raise wheat so extensively upon light soils, 

 even where they are of the richest quality, as is practicable upon clays ; nor will a crop 

 of equal bulk upon the one, return so much produce in grain as may be got from the 

 other. To enlarge upqn this point would only serve to prove what few husbandmen 

 will dispute, though, it may be added, that, on thin sands, wheat ought not to be ven- 

 tured, unless they are either completely clayed or marled, as it is only with the help of 

 these auxiliaries that such a soil can gain stamina capable of producing wheat with any 

 degree of success. (Brown. ) 



4616. The culLure of the soil intended fur wheat varies according to its nature, and the 

 preceding and following crops. " On soils really calculated for wheat, though in dif- 

 ferent degrees, summer fallow is the first and leading step to gain a good crop or crops of 

 that grain. The first furrow should be given before winter, or so early as other operations 

 upon the farm will admit ; and every attention should be used to go as deep as possible ; 

 for it rarely happens that any of the succeeding furrows exceed the first one in that re- 

 spect. The number of after-ploughings must be regulated by the condition of the 

 ground and the state of the weather; but, in general, it may be observed, that plough- 

 ing in length and across, alternately, is the way by which the ground will be most com- 

 pletely cut, and the intention of fallowing accomplished. It has been argued, that 

 harrowing clay soils, when summer fallowed, is prejudicial to the wheat crop ; but, 

 without discussing this point (such a discussion being unnecessary!, it may merely be 

 stated, that, in a dry season, it is almost impracticable to reduce real clays, or to work 

 them too small ; and that, even in a wet one, supposing they are made surface-smooth, 

 they will, when ploughed up again, consolidate into clods or big lumps after forty-eight 

 hours' drought, and become nearly as obdurate as ever. It is only on thin soils, which 

 have a mixture of peat earth, and are incumbent on a bottom impervious to water, that 

 damage is at any time sustained by over harrowing. Such are generally of a weak tex- 

 ture, and may be broken down with facility by the roller and harrow. If caught by 

 much rain before the pores are in some measure closed, the moisture is greedily ab- 

 sorbed; and being prevented from going downwards by the hardness of the subsoil, the 



