WHEAT. 



where they have been kept clean from weeds by repeated 

 hoeings, and fed off upon the land at fuch early periods as 

 to admit of the ground being prepared by once ploughing, 

 in a liglit manner. In cafes where this kind of crop is in- 

 tended to be cultivati-d after potatoes, which, from their 

 having a great tendency to lighten the foil as well as to ex- 

 hauft it, (hould never be done on the lighter forts of land in 

 backward fituations, or under any circumftances where a 

 fufficient proportion of manure has not been applied for the 

 potatoe-crops, one light ploughing immediately before the feed 

 may be in moll cafes an adequate preparation ; as where 

 proper attention has been bellowed in the culture of fuch 

 crops, the foil is generally left in a fufficiently fine condition 

 for the purpofe. It has been remarked, that the caufe of 

 wheat not fucceeding well after potatoe-crops, in many in- 

 ftances, is, that, befides the land being rendered too light 

 and porous by the growth and cultivation that are requifue 

 for them, the wheat is more expofed to the injurious attacks 

 of the grub, earth-worm, and other infifdls ; and in fome 

 expofed iituations, from the feed-time being too long pro- 

 tradled, the praftice becomes obvioufly improper. In 

 growing the crop after thofe of hemp and flax, as weeds are 

 apt to rife, it is always proper that the land (hould be 

 ploughed over two or three times, in order that a fine Hate 

 of tilth may be produced. The cuftom of giving but one 

 earth after fuch forts of crops, can feldom or ever enfure 

 full returns of this grain. It has been remarked in " Prac- 

 tical Agriculture," on the bell authority, that experience 

 has (hewn, in the mod clear and fatisfailory manner, that 

 this fort of crop (liould never, when it can be avoided, be 

 grown after other kinds of grain-crops, as rye, barley, or 

 oats ; and that the manure (hould not be applied to it, but 

 for fuch crops as may precede it. That where the contrary 

 is praftifed, tht crop is not only liable to be injured by the 

 rampant growth of weeds, but from its being more apt to 

 be difeafed. 



On the whole, it may be obferved, that whatever the na- 

 ture or Hate of the ground may be, or the kinds of crops 

 that precede this fort of grain, it would appear that the pre- 

 paration for it iliould always be fucli as has a tendency to re- 

 duce the parts of the foil to a pretty fine (late, as under 

 fuch circumftances the growth of the crops is not only 

 more regular and perfeft, but from the even and compaft 

 (late in which the furface is left, it is more fit for affording 

 lupport and proteftion to the roots of the wheat-plants, as 

 allowing them to Ipread and extend themfelves with greater 

 readinefs in the fine mouldy earth thus provided, as well as 

 by its falling down more clofely about them. It has, how- 

 ever, been contended by fome cultivators, that a rough 

 cloddy ftate of the furface-part of the land is the moll pro- 

 per fituation of it for the reception of this kind of crop, as 

 the young wheat-plants are thereby better guarded and fe. 

 cured againft the effedls of the fevere cold that often takes 

 place in the winter feafon. It is probable, however, that 

 cold is feldom hurtful, in any great degree, to winter wheat- 

 crops, except when accompanied with too much moifture, or 

 where fudden frofts and thaws have the effeft of rendering 

 the furface parts of the foil fo hght and open, as to be inca- 

 pable of affording proper fupport to the roots of the young 

 wheat -plants. 



In Berkfliire they prepare the land for wheat chiefly in 

 three different ways, as by fummer fallowing, and manuring 

 with yard-dung, comport, rags, foot, and chalk in fome 

 cafes ; by folding on it with (heep in cafes where the ground 

 is not of too deep and wet a nature ; and by putting it in on 

 the back of clover-leys, after one or two crops of grafs by 

 one or more ploughuigs. 



It IS thought by fome, however, that manuring for beans 

 or other crops is a much better pradice when followed by 

 wheat, than the old cuftom of fallowing and manuring for 

 this crop, which renders the land too light, and confequently 

 fubjea to blight. 



The farmers in Oxfordlhire prepare for wheat by different 

 numbers of ploughings, as the circumftances of the land 

 may be ; but the layers are moftly ploughed in a (hallow 

 manner, as wheat loves a firm bottom to root in, and which, 

 in fandy land, cannot be too tight. Too loofe a bottom is 

 apt to caufe a root-fallen crop. 



An equally careful preparation of the foil is neceffary for 

 the fpring fort of this grain, though fewer ploughings will 

 often be fufficient. 



Time of foivhig. — In regard to the proper period of fovv- 

 ing this fort of crop, it may, the author of Modern Huf- 

 bandry obferves, be ufefulto remark, that the earlier the au- 

 tumnal fowmgs can be put into the foil, the greater chance 

 the young plants will have of being well eftabhftied before 

 the frolls take place, which has been feen to be a circum- 

 ftance on which the welfare of the crop in a great meafure 

 depends. Befides, the ftate of the land and that of the 

 fealon are much more proper for the procefs of vegeta- 

 tion, when the crop is put in at an early period, than when 

 it is delayed till a late one ; the ftate of the weather in the 

 latter cafe often admitting of only a very languid and imper- 

 fedl growth till the fpring, by which the crop muft be ex- 

 pofed to much danger from various caufes. Indeed expe- 

 rience has abundantly ftiewn that late (own wheats feldom 

 fucceed fo well, or afford fuch plentiful crops as thofe that 

 are put in early. But when fown too early there may not- 

 withftandmg be danger of the crop running too much to 

 ftraw, and confequently of tlie grain proving light in the 

 ear. From the beginning of September to the middle, or 

 even the end of Oftober, may probably be confidered as 

 the moft favourable period for this bufinefs. This is indeed 

 confirmed by the eftabUflied praftice of the moft correft 

 farmers in almoft every diftrift of the kingdom where this 

 fort of grain is grown. If fown earlier, efpecially on the 

 heavy kindo of foils, the land is for the molt part in too 

 hard and lumpy a Hate to allow of tlie feed being properly 

 covered by the harrow ; and in the lighter ones in too dry a 

 condition for the grain to vegetate in a proper manner ; and 

 when delayed later, the ground in one cafe is apt to become 

 too wet and clofe by the falling of the autumnal rains, and 

 in the other too loofe and porous from the aftion of the 

 froft upon it. It is remarked by the writer juft mentioned, 

 that more than four.fifths of the whole of this fort of grain 

 is fown between the middle of the firft and the end of the 

 laft of the above months. Mr. Young thinks September 

 the beft feafon for cold backward wet foils, and Oftober for 

 thofe of the more dry and warm kinds, after there has been 

 a plentiful rain. There are, however, circumftances, it is 

 farther obferved, on the authority of the Synopfis of Huf- 

 bandry, that may render the times of fowing different from 

 the above ; as where the foils are of the rich fertile, loamy, 

 chalky, or gravelly kinds, it may be better to defer it in 

 many inftances to a confiderably later period ; as when fuch 

 warm forts of land are cropped too early, they are apt, it is 

 faid, to pufti the plants forward in fuch a rapid manner, that 

 they become weak and fpindling in the early fpring months, 

 and at the fame time the crops are more liable to be infefted 

 with weeds, on account of the feafon being then more fa- 

 vourable to their growth. But that the praftice of putting 

 in crops of this fort fo late as the latter end of November 

 and beginning of December, frequently depends on the 

 crops tliat precede them not being capable, from the latenefs 



of 



