70 



Management of Wheat. 



land are preparing for numerous branches. Nothing definite, 

 therefore, can be named as to the proper quantity to be sown. 

 Upon the broadcast system, where 2\ bushels per acre are sown, 

 it is generally allowed that, if drilled, 2 bushels would be equi- 

 valent, and if dibbled 5 pecks. As an instance of the effect of 

 time, I may mention that upon a poor heavy soil, if we commence 

 in September with 2 bushels, by the middle of October we in- 

 crease it to 2i bushels per acre. 



It has been repeatedly proved that upon land of the best qua- 

 lity, and in high cultivation, if dibbled and put in perfectly 

 regular, 4 pecks of seed per acre are better than more, inasmuch 

 as it leaves a roomy and healthy space between the plants, encou- 

 rages branching, and produces stiflfer straw, with plumper ears, 

 than when sown thicker, and upon the whole gives the most cer- 

 tain and fullest production that the land is capable of. Thickly- 

 sown wheat on rich land grows much weaker straw, smaller ears, 

 and is liable to fall down long before the usual time for coming 

 to perfection. 



We have heard of transplanting wheat, and I can assign no 

 good reason why it should not be more generally adopted. It is 

 true it would be a somewhat tedious operation to plant many acres 

 in this way ; but when it is considered what a small portion of 

 seed would be required, it might repay the farmer for his trouble 

 and expenditure. 



Varieties of wheat differ in their tillering properties. The fol- 

 lowing experiment was made in 1843 : — 



October 28th, 1843, planted 30 kernels of 6 varieties of wheat, 

 with a view of testing their tillering property, and the time at which 

 they arrive at maturity. The wheat v/as dibbled, one kernel in 

 a hole, at equal depth and distance, on a piece of loamy ground. 

 The varieties each formed a row, distant from each other 10 

 inches, and from plant to plant in the rows 4 inches. The table 

 given below will show the result of the experiment :~ 





Number of 



Time of 



1 



Number of Number of 



Variety. 



Seeds 



coming 



perfect 



Ears from 





vegetated. 



into Ear. 



Ears. 



one Grain. 





26 



June 3 



234 



9-0 



Marygold or Rattling Jack Red . . . 



26 



» 14 



134 



5-1 





26 



„ 8 



203 



7-8 





27 



„ 14 



155 



5-7 





26 



„ 12 



168 



6-4 





25 



„ 12 



191 



7-6 



The Spalding's and Marygold are the most productive of the 6 

 varieties, though in this case they tillered less than any of the 

 other kinds. 



