Management of Wheat. 



63 



method; one seedsman to two ploughs, which merely reverse the 

 ridges that were made when the land was dunged. Small light 

 seed-ploughs are kept for the purpose, which leave a narrow fur- 

 row. Many farmers abject to this method because of the numerous 

 furrows; but this is an erroneous idea, for when wheat is drilled or 

 dibbled the space between each row is often more than the width 

 of one of these furrows. Others object to it because the wheat 

 comes up similar to the broad-cast system, and they cannot very 

 well hoe it in the spring; but this is no valid objection, for if a 

 fallow has been properly managed the wheat will scarcely require 

 hoeing, since, by continually moving the land during the early part 

 of the summer, most of the seeds of annual weeds have been brought 

 sufficiently near the surface for germinating ; and the land being 

 left quiet from the end of July until seed-time gives every encou- 

 ragement for the weeds to grow ; there are consequently but few 

 seeds near enough to the surface for vegetating in the spring. 

 Three men, with two ploughs and four horses, can put in by this 

 system about 3 acres per day. Last year, upon an extensive farm 

 known to the writer, more than half the wheat was sown in this 

 way, and proved remarkably fine, even more so than that sown 

 after clover. 



In some parts of Scotland the wheat is sown with a drill-plough, 

 which drills the seed, and covers it in with the furrow turned by 

 the plough : the crop, of course, comes up in drills, and this me- 

 thod is considered to prevent the wheat losing plant on wet and 

 loose soils. 



It is well known that wheat should be sown when the land is 

 clung., and it is considered better to wait and have a late season of 

 sowing than to put it in when the soil is in a dusty state ; which, 

 upon some land, causes the wheat to become root-fallen, and upon 

 soils of a closer texture, where this does not occur, the wheat sel- 

 dom flourishes so well as when put in after rain. The land is 

 never too wet for sowing wheat, provided it works at all kindly, 

 and the seed can be effectually covered. There are, however, 

 some soils of a peculiar mixture of sand and clay, which, if 

 stirred when very wet, will run together, and afterwards in dry 

 weather form a hard crust, which of course checks the grovv'th of 

 the plant. 



The best period for sowing wheat on cold clayey soils is from 

 the last week in September to the middle of October, as it seldom 

 becomes winter-proud upon such land. 



Many think that water-furrowing may be entirely dispensed 

 with where the land has been thoroughly under-drained, but this 

 opinion is not borne out upon very heavy tenacious clays. I have 

 observed that upon such soils the surface-water has not gone off 

 sufficiently quick without it. 



