36 CULTURE OF FARM CROPS. 



obliquely, or at right angles to the drills, is peculiarly ad- 

 vantageous, tending, as it does, to destroy the poppy and 

 other weeds which infest such soils. To destroy the poppy, 

 it has been recommended to harrow when the surface-soil 

 is slightly crusted with frost. If the plants are extremely 

 luxuriant in spring, it is beneficial to ' flag ' them, as it is 

 called ; that is, to cut off, by a scythe or bagging-hook, the 

 blades or leaves from the stalk ; this should be done early, 

 not later than May, as if done later, the ears, or. the part 

 which would form the ears, might be cut off. 



23. In an able paper, by Professor Tanner, in the Jour- 

 nal of the Eoyal Agricultural Society, on " The Mechanical 

 Condition of the Soils favourable for the Growth of Seed," 

 there are some practically valuable remarks in connection 

 with the wheat crop, to which we now direct attention in 

 the following condensed epitome " The heaviest clay soils 

 are generally prepared by bare falloiv ; when this is properly 

 managed, the soil becomes broken up by the winter s frost, 

 baked by the spring and summer's sun, and crumbled by 

 the descending rain and the gentle dews, and in combina- 

 tion with its implemental stirring and inversion, it is 

 finally changed from a close adhesive bricky character to 

 one in its pulverised condition, fitted for the wheat plant. 

 In some very heavy soils the bare fallow is essentially ne- 

 cessary for the wheat crop preparation. The degree of 

 fineness for the wheat crop, to which the soil is to be re- 

 duced in heavy clays, is a matter in which there is consid- 

 erable diversity of opinion ; but the general opinion seems 

 to be that the land should not be rolled so as to bring it 

 into a fine state unless the land is foul, and it is necessary 

 to give the seeds of any weeds which may be in the soil a 

 better opportunity to grow. Even in such cases, risk is 

 run in wet weather of having the soil pasty so that it is 

 better to keep the soil in a small lumpy state than in a 

 dusty one. The last ploughing of heavy soils should leave 

 the land in ridges, and the ploughed earth should not be 

 broken down till sowing. It is advisable to prepare these 

 soils early in the season, while the earth may be easily 



