WHEAT. 



ployed. Befides, perhaps, a better bed of mould is turned 

 up in this way for the feed to vegetate in, provided the fur- 

 row is not made of too great a depth and breadth, and re- 

 main fome time before it is fown ; which (hould conftantly 

 be attended to by the agriculturift in preparing this fort of 

 ground for wheat-crops. But it is the ciiitom of fome 

 counties, as of Norfolk and Warwick, where the land is 

 often continued for nearly two years in a ftate of clover, to 

 break them up in the latter end of June ; in the fecond, giv- 

 ing two, and fometimes three ploughings. Where the fitua- 

 tion is favourable, and the weather turns out fuitable for 

 reducing the foil to a proper ftate of tilth, this may be an 

 advantageous praftice, as by fuch means great benefit may 

 be obtained by cutting the grafs in the beginning of the fea- 

 fon, in which it is to be ploughed up ; but where circum- 

 ftances of fo favourable a nature do not occur, fuch a 

 method of preparation muft be lefs beneficial than that of 

 giving only one ploughing. In the preparation of a clover 

 ley for wheat, Mr. Ducket has noticed a fingular experi- 

 ment and praftice. He had a field in which wheat rarely 

 efcaped being greatly root -fallen ; not to lofe fowing it with 

 that grain, and at the fame time to guard againft the ex- 

 perienced malady, he fcarified it repeatedly, till he had torn 

 up the clover, and alfo produced tilth enough for drilling it 

 in ; then he coUefted the clover fragments, and carted them 

 into the farm-yard to make dung, and drilled the field ; the 

 wheat having a firm bottom in an unftirred foil, efcaped the 

 difeafe, and yielded an ample produce. The clover bulb, 

 which would have fecured the dreaded loofenefs of foil, had 

 it been turned down, made a large quantity of dung, and 

 therefore was not loft to the farm, though the particular 

 field was deprived of it. And it has been ftated on the au- 

 thority of a cultivator of much experience, that in cafes 

 ■where the clover-crops have been fuch as to leave the land 

 in a foul condition in refpeft to weeds, it would be highly 

 improper to fow them with this fort of grain, as from its 

 remaining for fuch a great length of time upon the ground 

 they may be liable to have their feeds perfectly evolved, and 

 brought into a ftate of vegetation. In fuch cafes, it has 

 been fuggefted as more advantageous to have recourfe to 

 fuch fort of crops as may require the operation of hoeing 

 during the time they are upon the ground. The putting in 

 of wheat after pea-crops, is a praftice that may probably 

 be purfued with the nioft propriety and fuccefs in thofe dif- 

 trifts that are, from the nature of their fituation, fufficiently 

 early to admit of the land being fully cleaned and prepared 

 by repeated ploughings and harrowings, after fuch crops 

 have been removed, before the proper time of fowing fuch 

 grain. But where they are fo late as only to allow of the 

 land being prepared by one ploughing before the period of 

 fowing, it is (uppoied by fome to be an extremely hazardous 

 praftice to attempt the culture of wheat after fuch crops ; 

 as unlefs the ground be in a high ftate of tilth, there is httle 

 chance of a good crop being produced. This is the opinion 

 of the writer of the work on modern agriculture ; but the 

 Norfolk farmers are in the conftant habit of fetting or fink- 

 ing in wheat upon a pea-ftubble witii a finglc ploughing, and 

 confider it a very fafe and excellent huft)andry . The pea-crop 

 ought, however, to have been kept clean ; and after it is har- 

 vefted, the haulm harrowed off. They never plough a bean- 

 ftubble there more than once. In fome countief, it is the 

 conftant praftice to cultivate beans and wheat alternately on 

 the fame land for fome time. This is the cafe on the ftronger 

 kinds of foil in the county of Kent, on which it is found to 

 anfwer in a very advantageous manner ; and where wheat is 

 only occafionally fowii after fuch crops, it is often found an 

 ufeful praftice ; but in all fuch cafes the beans ftiould be 



cultivated in drills at from twenty to thirty inches diftance, 

 in order that they may admit of being hand and horfc hoed 

 in the moft perfeft manner. If this method has been fol- 

 lowed, and the bufinefs of hoeing during the growth of the 

 crops effeftually performed, the land may be fufficiently pre- 

 pared for the fucceeding wheat-crops by one ploughing, as 

 the foil from being thus kept clean, and in high tilth, can 

 fcarcely fail of affording a good produce. It has been re- 

 marked, that where the farmer has a bean-ftubble intended 

 to be fown with wheat, he fhould give it the due tillage as 

 early as poffible, which ftiould be regulated by the foil, as 

 on fome it may be better to truft the fcim fcufflers and fcari- 

 fiers than the plough. That where the land is very clean, 

 the great flcim of the ifle of Thanet is capable of cutting 

 through every thing, and loofening the furface fufficiently to 

 enable the harrows to render it as fine as poffible, being 

 picked and burned by women. Where not fo clean, the 

 Kenti/li broodftiare may be more eff'eftive. In other cafes, 

 the fcuffler may be fufficient for the purpofe. It is noticed 

 that in this cafe, when the farmer has got the furface to his 

 mind, he is to confider whether or not he ftiould plough it, 

 which is advifeable if the foil be of a firm fohd tenacious 

 quality, and if he does not intend to drill the wheat : if he 

 Ihould plough fuch a foil he may not have any apprehenfion 

 of root-fallen wheat, that is, failing roots, from a loofe bot- 

 tom ; but he will bring up a new furface that may drill with 

 difficulty, whereas that which has received the influences of 

 the crop, atmofphere, and of his late operations, will be in 

 exaftly the right temper for the drill to work in. If the 

 foil is of a more loofe friable quality, and he ftiould plough 

 down the fine furface he has gained, he will give the wheat 

 too loofe a bottom, and he will run the chance of a root- 

 fallen crop. In all fuch cafes, or in any that have a ten-i 

 dency to this circumftance, he ftiould determine not to 

 plough at all, but drill direftly ; a method in which he 

 faves tillage, and has the probability of a better produce. 



This is rather a new praftice on ftrong land, but fuch fuc- 

 cefs has been feen in it as leaves no reafon for doubting the 

 foundnefs of its principles. It was done by Mr. Ducket 

 on a fandy foil for year!, and with great effeft. It ftiould 

 be remembered, that whatever other circumftances may in- 

 fluence the growth of this grain, it loves a firm bottom to 

 root in, and rarely flourifhes to advantage where it is loofe 

 and crumbly ; nor will a depth of luch mould do, if the 

 under ftratum, in which it will attempt to fix its roots, bej 

 from its quahty of a repellent nature. The beft bafis is the! 

 cultivable earth, firm from not having been lately dif-| 

 turbed. Thefe obfervations, as being quite praftical, are 

 certainly deferving of the farmer's attention. Where thel 

 diftrift is early, and the land is preferved in good order byl 

 proper modes of cropping, wheat may be grown after! 

 beans, whether cultivated in the drill or broad-caft fyftem,! 

 vvich fuccefs, as there may be fufficient time to give the ne-1 

 ceftary preparation before the time of fowing, which cannoti 

 be done where they are late, and there is only time for one! 

 ploughing. But in other fituations it is found advantage- 

 ous when this crop is to be grown after either peas, beans,! 

 or tares, to plough the land in as light or ftiallow a manner! 

 as poffible, and then harrow and take out the roots and! 

 weeds, fo that they may be confumed on the ground inl 

 heaps ; the field being after this formed into proper ridgesj 

 for the reception of the feed by ploughing again a few inches ' 

 deeper than the firft. And in fome cafes, it is even har- 

 rowed after the fecond ploughing, and ploughed a third 

 time for the putting in of the grain. 



Wheat, too, may fometimes be cultivated after turnip- 

 crops to advantage on the heavier turnip-foils, particularly 

 lo where 



