146 



THE WHEAT CULTUEI8T. 



wheat after spring crops. 'Not but what good crops are 

 sometimes grown in that way ; but because the course 

 pursued by a large portion of wheat-growers, makes it 

 necessary to make a good summer-fallow, in order to be 

 at all sure of raising a good crop of wheat — say of from 

 25 to 30 bushels to the acre. This necessity is very 

 strongly shown by the large amount of poor wheat now 

 on the ground, and that has been harvested during the 

 last two or three years. Probably three-fourths of this 

 wheat was sown after spring crops ; and the principal 

 part on land that, if well summer-fallowed, or sown on 

 a good clover lea, would have given a good crop. But, 

 by being put in rather hurriedly and late, as it almost 

 always 'has to be, when sown after spring crops, and, as 

 is more especially the case now, when labor is scarce and 

 high, wheat does not generally get a sufficiently strong 

 and vigorous start in the fall, to enable it to withstand 

 all of the vicissitudes of a bad winter and spring, and 

 bring it forward sufficiently early to escape the midge 

 and rust. Not but good crops of wheat can be grown 

 after spring crops, and be made very profitable, if sown 

 on land sufficiently dry and rich ; but because the prin- 

 cipal part of the land thus sown is lacking in one or 

 both of these important requisites. Consequently, while 

 I do not wish to stop all farmers from sowing wheat 

 after spring crops, for there is some very good wheat 

 grown in this way, I would only have it sown where the 

 land is sure to produce good crops ; and I would be very 

 glad to see all of our wheat land put in a condition to 

 produce heavy crops without summer-fallowing. But 

 we have to deal with circumstances as they actually 

 exist, not as we would have them. 



Now, the real practical point for the farmer to con- 



