336 More Wheat. [july. 



crop. No one wants to grow wheat in this country in that 

 fashion, nor does one need to do so, but it does show how 

 susceptible the crop is to labour-saving devices. 



Conditions for growing Wheat on Inf trior Land. — If a payable 

 crop of wheat is to be ensured upon the inferior land of this 

 country certain essential conditions must be observed ; they 

 hold, of course, for all wheat growing, even though they may 

 to some extent be neglected on the best wheat soils where 

 conditions are so favourable as to make up for the set-backs 

 the plant may suffer. 



Early Sowing. — In the first place we put an early start. 

 On the heavier, colder and higher soils we can only expect a 

 good wheat crop if it is sown before the end of October, and 

 the early part of that month or the end of September are better 

 still. The early start makes much more sure of the establish- 

 ment of a plant that will stand the winter, germination is 

 better and the plant gets its roots dowm before the soil becomes 

 waterlogged. This, again, makes to some extent for early 

 and even ripening ; above all it helps the plant to stand up 

 as harvest approaches. Of course, on the best land early 

 sowing may result in the wheat becoming '* winter proud,'' 

 but thin seeding obviates damage from that cause. 



Maimring. — The next point to be considered is that for 

 wheat growing on the poorer land some corrective manuring 

 is generally necessary. Wheat is often regarded as a crop 

 that requires no special manuring beyond the residues that 

 remain from the manures applied during the rotation, and 

 perhaps a dressing of sulphate of ammonia or some other 

 nitrogenous fertiliser in the early spring, which greatly benefits 

 the yield ; but on the heavier and colder soils it is, perhaps, 

 more necessary to apply a dressing of basic slag before the 

 crop is sown. This promotes earlier ripening and better 

 root development, and also helps the crop to stand up. On 

 the very lightest soils, again, wheat cannot be profitably 

 grown without some potash manure. 



Good Seed. — Thirdly, it is difficult to exaggerate the 

 importance of good seed. There are several of the newer 

 varieties, among which w^e may instance Yeoman, Little 

 Joss, Svalof Square Head, and Swedish Iron, which can be 

 counted upon to give two or three more bushels per acre than 

 the old varieties. It is unsafe to specify a particular variety — 

 Little Joss, for example, does not answer well on land which 

 Ues wet and cold during the winter — but the local Agricultural 

 College or Farm Institute can generally advise as to the best 

 cropping wheat for the particular locality. 



