WHEAT. 



when barley and clover are sown : 

 because, when the surface is laid in 

 double stitches, as is sometimes done, 

 it is not very easy to lay it in narrow- 

 stitches again, at one ploughing, for 

 wheat. Xo doubt a very expert 

 Ijlougbman would do so, but it is not 

 often that many expert plougtimcn 

 are on the same farm. Even in very 

 light soils, as in Flanders, narrow 

 stitches with deep intervals are 

 thought most advantageous. 



" It is a very common notion that 

 good wheat and bean land is not well 

 adapted to the growth of roots, espe- 

 cially of such as are usually fed off 

 the land by sheep, because the tread- 

 ing of animals is injurious in winter 

 and spring, when these crops are 

 usually wanted ; and if they are cart- 

 ed ofl', the \\heels and the horses 

 make such impressions as are equal- 

 ly detrimental, or more so. But all 

 roots, even the white turnip, will 

 grow luxuriantly on heavy soils, well 

 prepared and manured ; and they 

 may be so managed as to be taken 

 oft' before the winter. The bulbs 

 will not be so large, but they will be 

 more succulent, and may be kept in 

 various ways till they are wanted for 

 the cattle. The land, being plough- 

 ed immediately on the removal of 

 the roots, will be well prepared for 

 wheat, or, when mellowed by the 

 ■winter's frost, may be sown in spring 

 with beans, barley, or oats. The 

 manure will be incorporated with the 

 soil, even if it has been put on in a 

 very fresh state for the roots, which 

 can only be recommended on very 

 compact soils. If the root crops are 

 well cleaned, fallows may be avoid- 

 ed, or, at least, recur very seldom, 

 and then only when weeds have ac- 

 cumulated from neglect. 



" When the wheat has blossomed, 

 and the grain in the ear is fully form- 

 ed, it should be watched, and as soon 

 as the seed feels of the consistence 

 of tough dough, and the straw is dry 

 and yellow below the ear, it should 

 be reaped. The skin of the grain 

 will be thinner, and its substance 

 will harden readily, by mere drying, 

 while the straw is better fodder for 

 4C2 



the cattle. It is found by experience 

 tiiat the increase of (lour by adopting 

 this metiiod is very considerable. 



" It was the custom of our (ore 

 fathers to cut the straw half way be- 

 tween the ear and the ground ; and 

 their reason was, that thus less room 

 was required in the barn, and no 

 seeds of weeds were carried there 

 in the straw ; but the loss of half the 

 straw, which might have afforded lit- 

 ter or fodder for cattle, was over- 

 looked : and if the weeds were not 

 taken into the barn, where they could 

 do little harm, except giving a little 

 more trouble in winnowing and sift- 

 ing the corn, they were left to shed 

 their seeds on the land, and thus per- 

 petuate its foulness, or add much to 

 the labour of weeding the succeed- 

 ing crops. The stubble or haulms had 

 to be mown or raked ofl' before the 

 land could be well ploughed ; and, 

 although this might make a very good 

 shelter for cattle in a yard, when 

 made into haulm-walls, as they are 

 sometimes called, there was a great 

 loss of labour in thus going twice 

 over the field. The most approved 

 mode of reaping now is that which 

 is called fagging or bagging (see 

 Harvest) ; but the most expeditious 

 is mowing, which, by means of a cra- 

 dle scythe, may be done so regularly 

 as to allow all the corn to be tied up 

 in sheaves without any loss. The 

 weeds are tied up with the corn, and 

 when the whole is thrashed, the 

 seeds of the latter are winnowed out 

 and burned ; thus they cannot infest 

 the land, and there is double the quan- 

 tity of straw to convert mto manure : 

 a matter of great importance where 

 cattle are fed on turnips in the yard, 

 chiefly for the sake of their dung. 



" The choosing of wheat for seed 

 is a matter of great importance. 

 Some farmers Iikc to chanere their 

 seed often ; others sow the produce 

 of their own land continually, and 

 both seem persuaded that their meth- 

 od is the best. The fact is, that it is 

 not always the finest wheat which 

 makes the best seed ; but it depends 

 on the nature of the land on which it 

 grew. Some soils are renowned fat 



857 



