138 On the Growth of Wheat Year after Year, 



may tiller fully before winter, and so ripen evenly at harvest. Be- 

 fore the end of the month the thin green lines are distinctly 

 visible, and I at once set to work in the intervals. 



Now, if it take one man 30 days to trench an acre, it will take 

 50 men a month and four days to trench 50 acres ; and four 

 months and a half to trench 200. 



But, only the half portion of these several acres is to be dug; 

 and this will reduce the extent to 100 acres ; and the time it will 

 occupy, to two months and eight days. So that, beginning, as I do, 

 the last week in September, I complete my labours the first week 

 in December, with nearly five months in hand for the casualties of 

 frost, snow, and sickness, before I am shut out by the growing crop. 



Having shown the results of the sj^stem of growing wheat which 

 I follow myself, and presume to recommend to others, and having 

 stated my reasons for entertaining hopes of future success to an 

 equal extent, I will conclude with my balance-sheet of expendi- 

 ture and income. It may be open to objection ; but I would 

 point to the wide margin of profits which will still remain after 

 all deductions, where the experience of others does not tally with 

 my own. In fixing the value of the straw at 2Z. a ton,* I speak, 

 not merely of the price under which I am unable to purchase it 

 myself, but of its intrinsic worth as fodder, litter, and manure. No 

 one who has had his winter beans, as I have them, in single rows 

 five feet apart, and seen them, as I do, covered with large pods 

 from top to bottom, and meet ; and his swedes, wurzel, and pota- 

 toes, at the same distance apart, doing the same^ will dispute my 

 valuation of good wheat straw converted into rich forcing manure. 



One double-digging in autumn . . .£.1 10 0 

 Three stirrings in the intervals with scarifier 0 3 0 

 One ditto with scarifier and harrow imple- 

 ment, before sowing . . . .010 



Two pecks of seed (5s. the bushel) . . 0 2 6 

 Pressing and drilling . . . .010 



Rough-rolling . . . . . .006 



Four hoeings between rows of wheat . 0 2 0 



Bird-keeping .020 



All the operations from reaping to marketing 12 0 

 Rates, taxes, and interest . . . . 0 10 0 



Total amount of outlay . 3 14 0 



Four quarters and 2 bushels of wheat 



8 



10 



0 



One ton 12 cwt. of straw, at 21. a ton 



3 



4 



0 





11 



14 



0 



Deduct outlay 



3 



14 



0 



Total amount of profit . 



8 



0 



0 



* I give 40s. a ton for it, and cannot get it under that sum. And such is the 

 statement of other purchasers whom I have consulted. 



