32 OUR FARM CROPS. 



climate, &c., shown to exceed that of broadcasting. The 

 only charge that can be advanced against drilling is, that 

 perhaps it offers some assistance to the wireworm in its 

 destructive attacks on the young plant, by forming a fur- 

 row of loosened soil, along which the wireworm takes its 

 course without any difficulty, destroying each plant in 

 succession. This, however, on soils subject to it, may 

 easily be checked by running a ribbed roller, either Cam- 

 bridge or Crosskill, across the line of drills, by which 

 the continuity of the furrowed course is stopped at each 

 indentation of the roller. The wireworm then, owing to 

 its small powers of forcing itself through the soil, can only 

 move from plant to plant by coming up to the surface; this 

 materially checks its progress, while its presence there is 

 being constantly sought for by various insectivorous birds. 

 Dibbling is to be recommended chiefly for the more 

 perfect manner in which the seed is deposited in the soil, 

 both as regards the equality of its distribution, and as re- 

 gards the proportion of area allotted to each plant. The 

 amount of seed saved by this method is an item of con- 

 sideration drilling requiring twice, and broadcasting four 

 times the quantity. The seed, too, by being deposited in 

 separate unconnected holes, is not so liable to be destroyed 

 by the wireworm as when sown in drills, while the 

 parallelism of its lines of plants offers even greater facili- 

 ties for cleaning than in ordinary drilling. Some care, 

 however, is necessary that the dibbling machine should 

 only be made use of when the soil is suitable, and in a 

 suitable condition. If it is too light, or too dry, the sides 



show a great advantage in favour of the latter, as compared with the former. 

 The returns are thus given : 



Grain. Straw. 



Drilled wheat, per acre, 40 bushels, 77 trusses. 



Broadcasted, 33| 66| 



These results confirm those of similar series of experiments given in our 

 earlier farm records. 



