WHEAT. 



yield as much flour in any given quantity as other wheats, 

 and which does not appear to be fubjeft to any difeafe, nor 

 to have any difadvantages attending the cultivation of it. 

 It does not require more manure than barley or beans, nor 

 does it exhauft the land more. It anfwers extremely well 

 for laying down with clover, in which cafe the clover-feed 

 fhould be fown and harrowed in with the laft harrowing for 

 the wheat, and the ufual quantity of grafs-feeds fown. It 

 is to be preferred to all other forts of corn for raifing crops 

 of grafs-feeds ; owing to the fmall quantity of leaf which 

 it bears, and which is of /hort duration, as it fades and falls 

 down almoft as foon as it has attained its full fize : more air 

 is thus admitted to promote the growth of the clover, or 

 other grafs ; and the admifGon of more air may alfo contri- 

 bute to prevent the mildew with which this fort of wheat is 

 fo rarely affefted. 



There is a further advantage ftated to arife in the cultiva- 

 tion of this fort of wheat in fome cafes, which is, that on 

 various foils, and in fome feafons, it often happens that the 

 autumnal-fown crop of wheat may be feen to fail and to go 

 off in patches, from the injury of the wire-worms, or other 

 caufes. Confequently, that in the beginning of April, by 

 raking fpring wheat into the vacant places, as alfo where 

 the wheat -plants may appear weak and thin fet, the uni- 

 formity of the crop may be rcftored, and the fpring wheat 

 be ready for the fickle quite as early as the autumnal fown. 

 And that, although fuch a mixed crop would render its pro- 

 duce highly improper for feed ; for the miller's ufe it would 

 afford no objeftion. 



The remarks that are given below are the refult of much 

 experience and priAice m the cultivation of this fort of 

 wheat. It is found that crops of this kind are ready to cut 

 quite as early as the autumnal-fown wheat in hmilar foils and 

 fituations. That it is highly probable that the fuccefs of 

 this fort of wheat on clover ley may be found to depend 

 more on the coming feafon than autumnal-fown wheat ; as 

 if the foUoiving feafon fliould prove dry, the crop would be 

 more hazardous in the former than in the latter. In a dry 

 fummer it would feem that this wheat would have a better 

 chance upon land that has been longer upon tillage than 

 upon clover ley. That turnip and rape fallows, where the 

 foil is not too li^cht, feem highly proper for fpring wheat. 

 That pea and bean fallows may alfo in many inftances 

 prove eligible for fpring wheat ; and efpecially after having 

 hcen ploughed early in the autumn, and benefited by the 

 winter's rains and froft. That when the fpring wheat is 

 liarrowed in, at the lail light harrowing, clover-feeds, &c. 

 may be fown, the ground will moftly be well fet, and the 

 feeds profper equal to any in other cafes. That in the ap- 

 plication of top-dreffings for this fort of wheat, it may feem, 

 that in a long-continued dry feafon, the moft eligible way 

 would be by applying them at the fame time when the wheat 

 is fown. Only once lightly harrowing after may fuffice. 

 But that, in a moid and continued rainy feafon, top-drefling 

 would probably prove to aft more powerfully by being 

 fown upon the furface of the foil ; becaufe top-dreflings are 

 moft particularly calculated to invigorate the coronal roots 

 of the wheat-plants, and thereby to caufethem to tiller well. 

 And that, when top-dreffings are fown on the furface of 

 the foil, the bed time of applying them, it may feem, 

 would be when the wheat is grown to the height of three or 

 four inches ; becaufe if laid on before the blades of the 

 corn-crop afford a kind of fhelter, the finer particles thereof 

 are liable either to be exhaled by the fun, or blown away by 

 high winds, which frequently occur at that feafon. Moift 

 and fhowery weather, at thaf critical period, will always be 



I3t 



found of the higheft importance ; therefore, the farmer 

 would do well by having due attention to the ftate of the 

 weather when employed on this bufinefs. And that, as a 

 crop of this fort of wheat is fo much more valuable than 

 any other kind of fpring-fown corn, there are good grounds 

 for fuppofing that top-dreffings cannot any other way be 

 more beneficially employed. 



Trials with this fort of wheat in other unfavourable cafes 

 of poor wet cold land likewife Ihew that this fort of grain 

 may be had recourfe to with confiderable fuccefs in different 

 cafes. That five quarters /i^r acre have been had on rich good 

 landin perfcft cultivation of excellent wheat of this kind, when 

 put into the foil fo late as the 4th of May. It is evident, 

 that this fort of wheat has a rapid growth, being equally 

 forward at harveft with the autumn-fown crops. That on 

 the whole it feems probable, from the fuccefs that has at- 

 tended this kind of culture in the fen, in the fouthern and 

 the more northern diftrifts of the kingdom, that it may be 

 advantageoufly introduced in many different fituations and 

 circumflances of arable land. 



We have already confidered the hiftory, nature, qualities, 

 and many other properties and circumflances in relation to 

 this fort of grain. See Spring- /F/Jfa^ 



Culture ivhile gro-ving. — In the culture of wheat after it has 

 been put into the foil, there may be fome difference, according 

 as it has been fown, according to the preparation of the land, 

 or other circumflances. But in all cafes it fhould be kept per- 

 feftly clean and free from weeds, either by the horfe or 

 hand hoe, as weeds not only injure the crop in its growth, 

 but leffen the value of its fample when brought to the mar- 

 ket. And befides, the llirring of the mould on the furface 

 amongfl the plants may frequently be ufeful in other ways, 

 in addition to that of preventing the growth of feed-weeds ; 

 for as in the heavy kinds of foils that are mofl adapted to 

 this grain, the more fuperficial parts are liable to become fo 

 hard and baked as not to be eafily penetrated by the new- 

 formed or coronal roots of the plants in the early fpring 

 months, efpecially when they are very dry, and have been 

 preceded by much wet ; loofening of the earth, by any 

 means whatever, muft of courfe be of great utility. This 

 effect is generally fliewn to have taken place by the appear- 

 ance and progrefs of the crop, which becomes of an un- 

 healthy yellow colour, and advances but little in its growth. 

 In fuch cafes it has been fuggefted that harrowing once or 

 oftcner in a place may be of much fervice in the early fpring 

 months. Where the crops are thin, and of feeble growth, 

 this operation may produce beneficial effefts, by affording a 

 fort of earthing up to the weak plants, and thereby pro- 

 mote a more vigorous growth, at the fame time that a num- 

 ber of new fhoots are fent off from the joints thus covered, 

 and the crop in confequence rendered more full and abun- 

 dant ; and where the grain is too thick upon the ground, it 

 may alfo be of utihty by drawing out and deftroying many 

 of the plants. It has likewife been fufpefted by Dr. Dar- 

 win, that many of the root-fibres, by being torn in the 

 operation, may prevent the over luxuriance of the flem and 

 leaves, and by that means promote the more early fruftifica- 

 tion of the grain. 



It has been obferved by a late writer, that the praftice of 

 fcarifying the young drilled wheat-crops fhould conftantly 

 be performed in an effeftual manner, and not later than 

 March : but that fome have not fuppofed it to be fo very 

 beneficial, from not performing it at the proper time. Mr. 

 Cook has, it is faid, contrived two implements for this ufe, 

 a fixed harrow and fcarifier ; the former executing its work 

 merely by common tines or teeth, having three rov/s, which, 



by 



