32] A TOPOGRAPHICAL 



wheat may be sown instead of barley, and three or four quarters 

 per acre at least expected, and clover succeeds with wheat better 

 than with barley. The common average crops of wheat are gene- 

 rally stated at from 3 to 4 quarters (Winchester measure) per acre 

 on good land, from two bushels to two and a half sown : this is a very 

 low average produce for good management. But the fact and the 

 misfortune is, that wheat crops are seldom free from a pretty large 

 admixture of grass and weeds, which share with the crop the nutri- 

 ment from the soil. The following was the result of an examination 

 in September, 1814, upon a twenty-acre field of wheat at Showell 

 farm, near Wolverhampton : the occupier (Mr. Miller), had well 

 drained and fallowed the land, manuring with both muck and lime : 

 the soil mixed loam, of not above average quality. An acre in the 

 middle of the field produced 99 mows of 8 sheaves each, or 33 

 thraves of wheat; some of the land had a sheaf on six square yards: a 

 sheaf weighed 10|lbs. and produced 4f Ibs.of corn : this is 3tonsl5 cwt. 

 2 qr. 141bs. per acre weight of the crop, and 60f bushels at 601bs. per 

 bushel per acre produce of grain. The grains, when dry, weighed 

 96 to a half-guinea weight, or three grains of wheat were two grains 

 troy weight, which is 10,500 grains of wheat to llb.avoirdupoise : the 

 ears of corn were 276 on a square yard, or 30 and 2-3ds on a square 

 foot, containing on an average 28f corns each. It will appear by 

 this, that if a wheat crop fill and occupy the whole ground, and be free 

 from weeds, the average produce may be greatly increased. 



Wheat is commonly sown at the rate of about 1401bs. weight per 

 acre ; this, weighing as above, would be 304 grains on a square 

 yard, or little more than two inches asunder every way : yet it has 

 so great a tendency to tillering, or making lateral shoots, that every 

 grain sown in August might, upon an average, be divided into four 

 plants, and re-planted in October. If taken up the March follow- 

 ing, and again divided four-fold, and planted at nine inches, it will 

 make a full crop, if the ground be free from weeds. A single 

 grain would thus furnish the plants of a square yard, or less than 

 half a pound weight of seed wheat would supply an acre ; and this 

 method may very probably come into practice when cultivation be- 

 comes systematic, and more hands are employed therein. 



At present wheat is often drilled in rows at seven inches : this, 

 at one bushel per acre, would be one inch and a quarter distant 

 in the rows, and it is thus more ready to clean by the hoe. The 

 great improvement wanted upon the present practice is, to keep 

 the crop clear of grass and weeds. 



