sect. If. THE COUNTY OF FIFE, 175 



cast, seldom less than a boll, and seldom more 

 than 1 8 pecks, are allowed to the acre. When 

 drilled, which is sometimes practised, 5 or 6 

 pecks will be sufficient. When the land is rich, 

 dry, and in high order, and the sowing early, 

 14 pecks will serve an acre as completely as 18 

 pecks when the ground is cold, wettish, and of 

 inferior quality, or when the time of sowing is 

 late. 



5/, Time of Soioing.^ Wheat is sown from 

 the beginning of September to Christmas. This 

 point is generally regulated by the season, and 

 by the mode of preparation. Sometimes it is 

 sown as late as the month of February with suc- 

 cess. Late sowing, in otherwise favourable cir-* 

 curristances, will produce as bulky a crop, but 

 early sowing generally produces the heaviest 

 grain. 



6fb, Culture while Growing. If drilled it is 

 managed like other drilled crops, by horse or 

 hand-hoeing, and harrowing the intervals. If 

 sown broad-cast, nothing more is done, than in 

 barley or oats, except that, in some cases, it is 

 harrowed and rolled in the spring. The pro- 

 priety of this has been doubted. Circumstances, 

 however, I should apprehend, must determine 

 the matter. If the ground be naturally loose 

 and open, and, at the same time, clean, harrow-- 

 ing would be of little service, perhaps rather in- 

 jurious, but rolling may be proper and necessa- 

 ry. Whereas, if the land be rather hard, and 

 crusted on the surface, harrowing will be of ad- 

 vantage, as it will have the effect of a hoeing, 

 opening the ground, and allowing the air and 

 moisture to penetrate the soil, and to circulate 



