8M PRACTICE OF AGRICULTURE. Pam HI. 



Britain, however, is probably -till lowti upon fallow «.-<l land. When it succeeds turnips 

 consumed on the ground, or clover cul for hay «>r soiling, it is commonly sown after one 

 ploughing. In Scotland, when wheal is n> be sown after clover upon heavier soils, or 

 aftergrass of two or more years, the land is ploughed twice <>r thrice, or receives what is 

 called a rag (allow. In Norfolk and Suffolk, wheat is seldom sown after fellow or 

 turnips; l>nt the former there minks himself almost sure of a good wheat crop after a 

 good clover crop. One ploughing only is required, and the seed is dibbled in the flag, 

 ^ they call it ; that is, on the turned-over surface or furrow slice. 



On rich clai/i, wluit may be cultivated almost every second year, provided due care is taken to 

 ondition. A summer fallow once in four, six, or eight years, according 

 however, necessary ; and manure should either Lie applied on that (allow 

 for tin- tir-t cropol wheat, or, what some people think preferable, Bhould be laid on the wheat-stubble for 

 •i .too ..i drilled beans, which ensures the succeeding crop of wheat. If the first crop ol beans ha 

 completely cleaned there is no difficulty in repeating, and even in extending the course; and the crops 

 WI U |„. , those gained at the beginning of the rotation, provided manure has been bestowed 



In this way, when the ground is fallowed even fourth year, two crops of wheat 

 and one ol beans are gained from manuring once; when fallowed every sixth year, three crops ol 

 ;iM ,l ,„, (regained from manuring twice ; and, when fallowed every eighth year, four crops of 



wheat and three - B <>m manuring thrice. In the first-mentioned shirt, less manure is bestowed 



than ni either Ol the others; and, if the soil is of good quality, it will support itself: whereas, in the 

 shifts of six and eight, unless foreign manure be procure.!, it rarely happens that thej can go on success- 

 fully for any length of time, without abstracting dung from other parts of the farm on which they are 

 practised (Brown's Tr. on Rural .jjfnirs.) _ . 



In cultivating wheat on thin clays, the rotations just mentioned are n applicable. 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, peas 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 

 i< withheld, there will necessarily be a proportionable falling oil" in the two la>t crops. Husbandmen 

 must, however, regulate their practice according to their mean-, 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. 



5oi7. Excellent wheat may be grown on light s<nlx, with the exception of soft sands. Such soils, 

 however, are not constitutionally disposed to the growth of that grain; nor will they, under any manage- 

 ment, 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 admit- every branch of the cleaning process 

 to be more perfectly executed than even a naked or bare fallow docs, may be profitably substituted. 

 Wheat here comes in with propriety after turnips, though, in general cases, ii 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 of the rotation ; or in the sixth year, as a way-going crop, after drilled 

 peas and beans, if the rotation is extended to that length. But, take it any way, it is scarcely i>ossible to 

 raise wheat as 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 upon 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 ventured, unless they are either com- 

 pletely 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. \Broien.) 



5018. The culture of the soil intended for wheat varies according to its nature, and tlie 

 preceding and following crops. 



5019. On soils realli/ calculated for wheat, though in different 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 earlv as other operations upon the farm will admit ; and every attention should be used to go in as 

 deep as possible ; for it rarely happens that any of the succeeding furrows exceed the first one in that 

 respect. 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 ploughing in length and across, alternately, is 

 toe way by which the ground will be most Ci mpletely cut, and the intention of fallowing accomplished. 

 It has been argued, that harrowing clay soils, when summer-fallowed, is prejudicial to the wheat crop; 

 •hout discussing this point (such a discussion being unnecessary), it may merely be stated, that, in 

 a <lrv 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 



soils, which have a mixture ofpe.it earth, and are incumbent on a bottom impervious to water, that 

 damage is at any time su-tained by over-harrowing. Such are generally of a weak texture, 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 absorbed; and being prevented from going downwards by 

 the hardness of the subsoil, the whole surface becomes a kind of mortar or paste, unless previously well 



: up ; which, to a certain extent, prevents the consequences from being dangerous. These evils, 



i er, must be submitted to by the possessors of such soils, if they want to have them sufficiently fal- 

 I iwed oid |in pared in a proper manner; for, without reducing them, couch. grass, and especially nio-s, 

 with which they are commonly stored, cannot be eradicated. If they are reduced in the early part of the 

 season, the danger is small ; but to break them down in the latter part ought always to be avoided, unless 

 called lor by imperious necessity. 



When wheat is town after licans it rarely happens, in this northern climate, that more than one 

 ploughing can be successfully bestowed. Before this is given, it is advantageous to cross-harrow the land, 

 v. Iu,h levels the drills, ami permits the ploughing process to be executed with precision. Almost in 

 i -. erv case the ridges should be gathered up, so that the furrows may be well cleared out, and the plants 



rved from injury during the im lenient winter season. Clover land should be neatly ploughed, and 

 w.ll laid over, -o that the mot- oi' tli.. grasses may be buried and destroyed ; for it frequently happens 

 that crop- of wheat, after clover and rye-grass, are greatly injured by inattention to the ploughing process. 

 In -hurt, sowing wheat alter clover on clayey soils in Scotland may lie considered as the most hazardous 

 way in which that grain can be cultivated. {Brown's Tr. on Rural J/fairs.) 



5021. The manures best calculated for wheat, are allowed by all agricultural chemists 

 to be animal matters and lime. The former has a direct influence in supplying that 

 essential constituent to wheaten flour, gluten; and the latter azote and lime, both 

 actually found in the straw of wheat. At all events, it is certain that wheat Mill not 



