Report  on  Wheat-Mildew. 
675 
Abstract  of  Replies  received  in  Answer  to  Inquiries  as  to  Prevalence  of 
Mildew,  and  tlie  Conditions  under  which  it  is  Developed — continued. 
1. 
II. 
III. 
IV. 
Name  and  Address 
Reply  to  Queries  as 
COL’XTT. 
of 
to  Prevalence  of 
Extracts  from  Replies  to  other  Questions. 
Correspondent. 
Mildew. 
49.  Kent 
50.  Kent  .. 
51.  Do.  .. 
52.  Do.  .. 
53.  Do.  .. 
Goodwin,  W.  J., 
contd. 
Knights,  R., 
Bobbing 
Court,  Sit- 
tingbourne. 
Mono k ton,  F., 
Tonbridge. 
Neve,  George, 
Sissing- 
hurst, 
Staptehurst. 
Pye,  James, 
Knights- 
place, 
Rochester. 
severely  in 
late  wet 
seasons. 
In  this  locality 
some  crops 
have  suf- 
fered. 
This  district  is 
not  gene- 
rally liable. 
Fortunately  I 
have  never 
suffered 
much  from 
mildew. 
I have  never 
had  any 
damage  from 
mildew,  ex- 
cept in  1880. 
Golden  Drop,  and  Square  Head 
seem  to  blight  worst.  Disease 
encouraged  by  a check  to  vege- 
tion  (as  by  frost),  succeeded  by 
wet  of  long  duration.  Rust  (the 
first  sign)  may  be  destroyed,  or 
nearly  so,  by  top-dressing  with 
suitable  manure,  particularly  if 
salt  is  also  used  to  harden  the 
straw. 
Soil  variable.  Generally  loam  on 
chalk  or  gravel. 
In  1881  a field  on  the  farm  was 
struck.  It  was  half  wheat  and 
half  barley — both  crops  were 
mildewed.  The  corn  was  not 
much  injured,  but  the  straw  was 
utterly  useless  for  thatching  or 
sale.  The  wheat  was  sown  on 
loam  or  clay  soil — land  steam- 
ploughed  after  two  years’  clover 
ley.  The  barley  was  after  wheat 
following  beans.  For  wheat, 
3 cwt.  of  rape-cake  were  applied 
at  the  time  of  sowing.  For 
barley,  3 cwt.  superphosphate 
and  guano. 
When  the  disease  has  appeared 
here,  it  has  been  when  the  crop 
is  thin,  and  it  has  been  forced 
by  heavy  dressings  of  artificial 
manure  into  a luxurious  growth. 
Late-sown  wheat  is  more  liable 
than  early  sown. 
I grow  about  300  acres  of  wheat 
on  various  soils  lying  between 
the  Thames  and  the  Medway. 
In  1880,  my  wheats  in  the  latter 
part  of  July  looked  like  grow- 
ing 6 qrs.  an  acre ; but  the  last 
six  days  of  the  month  were  wet, 
with  thunder.  After  this,  nearly 
every  acre  went  black,  the  corn 
became  lean,  the  straw  rotten. 
The  crop,  about  4 qrs.,  weighed 
about  55  lbs.  the  bushel. 
