62 



Management of Wheat. 



land in Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and other counties, 

 particularly when the land becomes foul with couch-grass, &c., 

 and cannot very well be brought into a thorough clean state of 

 cultivation by partial fallows, connected with the growth of green 

 crops. Considerable benefit is also derived from summer fallow- 

 ing upon this kind of soil, as it causes a more perfect decom- 

 position of its constituent parts. This latter effect has been 

 proved in many cases by experienced farmers, and has come 

 under the observation of the writer. For instance, when this 

 kind of land has been repeatedly dunged, better crops have fre- 

 quently been obtained after a full summer's fallow without dung, 

 than after a good dressing of dung without a full summer's 

 fallow. In illustration of this statemtent. Professor Liebig, in 

 his work on the ' Chemistry of Agriculture,' says — " In the 

 effect produced by time, particularly in the case of fallows, or that 

 period during which a field remains at rest, science recognises 

 certain chemical actions which proceed continuously by means of 

 the influence exercised by the constituents of the atmosphere 

 upon the surface of the soil ;" and in another place he says — " It 

 is quite certain that careful ploughing and breaking up of the 

 soil, by producing the change and increase of its surface, exer- 

 cises a very favourable influence upon its fertility." At no very 

 distant period farmers generally considered systematic summer 

 fallowing to be one of the most important points of agriculture ; 

 and there are some in the present day who have proved its peculiar 

 suitableness to a few of the wet clayey soils ; though many speak 

 of it as an unnecessary waste of labour, and a sacrifice of the pro- 

 duce of the land. 



In some parts of the midland counties, upon the heavy soils, 

 where a summer's fallow is the preparation for wheat, about July 

 or the beginning of August, when the soil has been thoroughly 

 cleaned and pulverized, it is formed into two bout stitches 1 yard 

 wide, and manured in precisely the same way as for turnips, 

 putting on from 8 to 10 cart-loads per acre : others spread the 

 dung on the surface and plough it in, forming their land into 

 stitches from 2 to 8 yards wide. In both cases the land should 

 remain untouched from this period till the time of sowing. In 

 the latter case the seed is drilled in rows from 6 to 10 inches 

 asunder. When labour is plentiful the dibbling process is often 

 adopted, and then a less quantity of seed is sufficient. The horse- 

 hoe is sometimes used to cut up the annual weeds immediately 

 previous to sowing, which frequently grow very strong, and v/ould 

 be too much for the harrows to eradicate. When the former plan 

 is adopted — namely, that of ploughing the land into two bout 

 stitches — the plough is sufficient, and there is no necessity for the 

 horse-hoe. The seed is sown under the furrow in the spraining" 



