66 



On the Productiveness of certain Wheats. 



Although I do not approve of dibbling for general practice, as 

 I have said in my book on Practical Farming and Grazing, still in 

 order to sow exactly the small quantity of two bushels per acre, I 

 had the seed dibbled into holes 8 inches asunder. The winter 

 was favourable for late sown wheat on dry land, still if my experi- 

 ment had been made on a clover ley, and the sowing 6 weeks 

 earlier, each kind would probably have produced more, and 

 although the quantity of each was good, it possibly might have 

 been better. I cannot conveniently sow this year more than 4 

 of the sorts ; for further proof of produce, those will be Nos. 1, 

 2, 5, and 3 or 7. 



The result of this experiment strengthens the opinion I have 

 long entertained, that the brown Lammas wheats are best suited 

 to loamy soils, and for general growth in this county ; besides 

 which, in every market in the county it will always fetch a higher 

 price than the white. 



In Mark Lane it is the reverse of this, therefore the white may 

 answer best to those growers whose grain is sold there, and more 

 likely so if their soil is a strong clay or chalk. 



A greater quantity of wheat is now produced per acre than 

 formerly, by greater attention being paid in selecting seed from 

 the best and most prolific kinds ; and by close examination 

 into growing crops many new and valuable varieties are likely to 

 be obtained, and thus there will be wheat best suited for every 

 description of soil. The public are greatly indebted to Col. Le 

 Couteur for giving the result of his experiments made as to the 

 produce and value of many varieties of wheat ; but these experi- 

 ments carried on in the Isle of Jersey, cannot be satisfactorily 

 conclusive for the midland or northern counties of England ; at the 

 same time I beg leave to remark that in the account of profit, straw 

 ought not to be included ; it may be said to belong to the land- 

 lord, for if he allows it to be sold he has a right to expect that 

 the amount it sells for should be expended in manure. It does 

 not, in my idea, add to the value of any kind of wheat that it 

 produces an extra quantity of straw, and thus takes an extra 

 quantity of nourishment from the land ; besides this a greater 

 price must be given for the thrashing, and there is a less chance 

 of its being cleanly done. 



I remain, 



Your's, truly, 



C. HlLLYARD. 



Thorjoelcmds, Northampion, Sept. 25, 1840. 



