CH. iv] Practical Remedies 63 



in the crop. A wet winter is notoriously bad for the 

 wheat crop; on the other hand a dry winter is much 

 more favourable. Shelter of course is just as effective 

 as dryness: the ground where a stack has stood over 

 winter is well known to be more productive than ad- 

 joining ground that has been exposed to the rain. 



The practical point arises: how can the cultivator 

 remedy matters? He must try both prevention and 

 cure. Loss of nitrate can be prevented by sowing catch 

 crops 1 in autumn to be ploughed in or folded before the 

 spring sowings (p. 114). Bad tilth can be diminished by 

 leaving the ploughed land rough and taking care that 

 the wheat land does not get too fine. If the soil is already 

 fine, as, for instance, it is left after potatoes when the 

 digger has thrown down the ridges, the wheat seed can 

 advantageously be broadcasted or drilled on the surface 

 and then ploughed in and harrowed, thus exposing a 

 new and rougher surface to the weather. 



Loss of nitrate can be made good by spring dressings 

 of quick-acting nitrogenous manures : soot or sulphate of 

 ammonia if the surface is sticky, or nitrate of soda if the 

 soil can be got into reasonable condition (Chapter VII). 

 Finally the bad effect on the surface can be remedied by 

 using the Crosskill or other roller when the land is dry, 

 following this with the harrow. 



The effect of climate in determining what crops 

 can he grown 



The fertility of a soil is judged by its power of pro- 

 ducing crops, but it obviously cannot grow crops unless 

 the climate allows: we therefore have to turn to the 



^ Particulars of suitable crops are given in the Food Production 

 Leaflet 51, Board of Agriculture. 



