174 
Tke Agriculture of Glamorganshire. 
a more progressive state during the whole period of their growth, 
and their liability to mildew or any other check is more averted 
than when the whole of the manure is applied at one time. About 
one-third of the crop is carted off the land and consumed by 
cattle in the folds, whilst the remaining two-thirds are consumed 
on the ground by sheep closely folded. An allowance of cake 
or corn, or both, is frequently given to the sheep along with the 
roots, and the ground is ploughed up as the hurdles are moved 
forward. Such is the practice pursued by the best farmers, and 
it scarcely need be said that it ensures a succession of excellent 
crops throughout the whole rotation. Spring wheat is sown 
from the middle of January until the end of March, and some- 
times later. The soil and climate are both very favourable to its 
cultivation, and though sown even so late as the end of April, it 
seldom fails to come to maturity. Very late sowing, however, 
cannot be commended, as more seed is required than when sown 
in the end of February or the beginning of March, and the 
results at threshing-time are often disappointing. The quantity 
of seed drilled per acre is from 2 to 2 J bushels. Barley is sown 
from the 1st of April to the middle of May ; but here again very 
late sowing often brings unsatisfactory results. The month of 
May is generally one of the driest of the year, and at this period 
the strong and medium soils of the district are often difficult to 
reduce to the proper tilth, consequently the seed comes away at 
two or more growths, the crop ripens unevenly, and the quality 
of the sample is deteriorated for malting purposes. About 3 
bushels of seed are sown per acre. It is an easy matter to 
moralise about the proper time foi; sowing, but, as all practical 
men know, the weather is an important factor in deciding that 
point. Good samples of malting barley are grown in the V ale, 
but this season the quality must be uneven, as few fields could 
be seen clear of greens or second growth. The dry spring and 
the poaching of the land with sheep in wet weather would 
contribute to this result. Whilst all the grain crops are as a 
rule sown with a Suffolk drill, clovers and grasses are sown by 
a broadcast machine, along with corn crops which succeed roots. 
About 12 or 14 lbs. of mixed clovers (the greater proportion 
being red clover and cow-grass) and half a bushel of rye-grass are 
sown to the acre. On clover-sick land a proportion of alsike is 
frequently tried, but the objection to it is its lateness in coming 
to maturity. For the same reason, viz. clover-sickness, a pro- 
portion of sainfoin is occasionally sown with a reduced quantity 
of the other clovers. Sainfoin has been a favourite crop by 
itself, especially on the lighter soils, but it has not been so 
largely grown during the recent wet seasons. It is sown with a 
grain crop after roots at the rate of 3 bushels per acre, costing 
