650 
Report  on  Wheat-  Mildew . 
Drainage. — It  is  curious  to  find  that  only  three  of  my  corre- 
spondents attribute  mildew  to  want  of  drainage,  but  it  is  certain 
that  the  strong  lands  of  Marsh-land,  which  I have  spoken  of  as 
fortunate  in  1881  and  other  years,  lie  in  a district  which  is  not 
well  drained — and  indeed  instances  have  come  under  my  own 
notice,  within  a few  miles  of  my  own  farm,  where  wet  and  cold 
lands  have  escaped  when  better  drained  lands  suffered. 
Condition. — On  this  point  there  is  not  much  direct  testimony  ; 
but,  as  will  be  seen  when  we  come  to  consider  the  question  of 
manures,  there  is  much  indirect  evidence  to  the  effect  that  good 
farming  and  high  condition  tend  to  increase  the  disease.  Mr. 
Smith  Woolley,  whose  experience  in  the  survey  of  farms  is  very 
large,  says  expressly,  “ On  lands  liable  to  mildew  I think  high 
farming  rather  promotes  the  evil  than  otherwise  and  othersf 
express  a similar  opinion.  Only  one  correspondent  is  of  opinion 
that  foul  and  infertile  land  is  most  affected.  J 
The  mechanical  condition  of  the  soil  has  not  been  the  subject 
of  remark  except  by  one  gentleman,  who  attributes  mildew 
entirely  to  the  effect  of  frost  loosening  the  soil  and  exposing  the 
root.§  There  is  no  doubt  that  wheat  on  a soil  not  properly  con- 
solidated has  a tendency  to  become  lodged,  and  such  crops  are 
for  obvious  reasons  much  more  likely  to  be  attacked  than  those 
which  stand  up. 
Previous  Crops. — On  this  point  there  is  a remarkable  con- 
sensus of  opinion  as  to  the  prevalence  of  mildew  in  wheat  sown 
after  clover,  no  fewer  than  twenty-one  of  my  correspondents 
having  specified  this  crop  as  one  which  appears  to  favour  the 
disease,  or  as  having  preceded  a particular  crop  which  was  much 
injured.  Six  more  name  seeds  or  grass  ley  as  associated  with 
mildew,  and  three  speak  of  fresh  broken  up  pasture  as  peculiarly 
dangerous.  One  of  the  latter  writes  from  Marsh-land  in  Norfolk, 
and  the  other  from  the  borders  of  the  Romney  Marsh,  a some- 
what similar  district.  In  both  districts  a considerable  quantity 
of  old  pasture  was  broken  up  in  bygone  years.  Mr.  Rigden,  of 
Lyminge,  says,  “ Mildew  has  been  developed  to  such  an  extent 
on  fresh  broken-up  bottom  pastures  that  corn  is  only  very 
* No.  68,  p.  680.  t See  Nos.  15,  35;  pp.  667  and  671. 
% See  No.  49,  p.  674.  In  1881  a well-known  agricultural  correspondent  of  the 
newspapers  came  down  to  W isbecli  to  inquire  as  to  the  alleged  injury  done  by  mildew. 
He  told  me  that  he  had  quite  made  up  his  mind  that  the  disease  was  caused  by  bad 
farming,  and  that  it  was  only  found  in  foul  crops.  I had  the  pleasure  of  intro- 
ducing this  gentleman  to  some  of  the  best  farmers  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  ho 
had  an  opportunity  of  testing  his  theory  by  actual  inspection  of  the  wheat  crops 
of  one  of  our  best  farmers.  Whether  he  changed  his  opinion  or  not  I do  not  know, 
but  I do  know  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  better  farming  or  cleaner  crops 
than  he  saw  ; and  they  were  as  bad  instances  of  mildew  as  were  ever  seen. 
§ No.. 40,  pp.  672-3- 
