60 CULTURE OF FAEM CROPS. 



in the spring, say in March ; the result of one experiment 

 may be represented thus, winter, 20 ; spring, 8. We have 

 already said that in transplanting wheat it is necessary, or 

 considered necessary, that the plants should have tap-roots. 

 We tried a good many plants with and without tap-roots, 

 and so far as the readiness of the plants to take to the 

 ground was concerned, we could not trace any difference. 

 All we planted of both kinds took at once, and those hav- 

 ing no tap-roots were merely white at root, and did not 

 certainly look as if they could possibly strike, but strike 

 they did, and soon. We mention this fact as corrobo- 

 rative of the statement, that the wheat plant is a very easily 

 transplanted one. 



42. On the subject of thin and thick sowing a vast deal 

 has, been written ; space does not permit us here to give 

 even the most rapid of resumes of this, interesting as 

 it undoubtedly is. A very excellent view of the arguments 

 which have been made from time to time on the subject 

 will be found in a paper in the " Journal of Agriculture," 

 by the " Old Norfolk Farmer," entitled " On Thick and 

 Thin. Seeding." We can here only glance at the subject. 

 Mr. Mechi, who has for a long time been, and is still, the 

 advocate of thin sowing, says that thin sowing should be 

 early sowing on heavy land, this being the invariable re- 

 sult of all thin sowing trials. The land should also be 

 drained, subsoiled, and kept free from weeds by the hand 

 or horse hoe, if thin sowing is to be a success. On light 

 lands and bog lands the wheat plants are apt to be de- 

 voured by the wire-worm, to prevent which the roller 

 should be freely used. On reclaimed bog, a deep, rich, 

 vegetable soil, Mr. Mechi says it is imperative to sow 

 thinly three or four pecks to the acre, or the crop would 

 be mostly straw. Thin sowing somewhat delays the ripen- 

 ing of a crop, especially if sown on heavy land so late as 

 November or December. Anything beyond 1 bushel of 

 seed per acre has not had the effect of increasing the yield, 

 the extra seed being so much wasted. The plants from the 

 1 bushel of seed, Mr. Mechi found, kept their healthy green 



