52 
The Mechanical Condition of the Soil 
As these crops admit of a system of hoeing being carried out, the 
land will not have much weed upon it when the crop has been 
removed, but may be supposed to be in good working condition ; 
the early operations may differ according to the nature of the 
preceding crop, but they again meet when the surface has been 
cleaned. After beans the land may be better for being skimmed 
and having the weeds burnt ; but, should the ground be too hard 
for this to be readily done, the use of the plough will be pre- 
ferable, which should be preceded by forking and picking any 
couch-grass that may have established itself. The surface 
should be cleared of any weeds (except annuals) which may 
be there, and then the more immediate preparation for wheat- 
sowing will commence, 
A single ploughing is enough for getting the land into 
good order, if summer-tillage has been satisfactorily carried out. 
The vetches, rape, and part of the cabbage will be generally 
consumed upon the land, and thus it will often happen that the 
rain falling upon it will cause the surface to become hardened by 
the treading of the stock ; but if, from this or any other cause, 
the land is too hard and incapable of being prepared by one 
ploughing, then a second ploughing must be given, and, if pos- 
sible, 10 or 14 days should elapse between them, so as to let the 
soil regain the necessary degree of firmness for the seed. 
Wheat, whilst it requires the necessary supplies of air and 
moisture for its germination, cannot flourish unless it can root 
firmly, and it is for this reason that, where one ploughing will do, 
it is always desirable to avoid a second immediately before the 
sowing. 
It is seldom any matter of difficulty, when dealing with clay 
soils, to secure the necessary degree t)f firmness, although after 
vetches the land is sometimes disposed to be puffy in its con- 
dition ; this is, to a great extent, corrected by the treading of 
sheep, when the crop is consumed upon the land ; but, when one 
ploughing is enough, the natural cohesion of the soils will gene- 
rally secure a sufficient firmness in the land. 
When wheat has to be sown after an autumn-crop of green 
food upon light land, the firmness of the soil requires to be care- 
fully attended to. It is generally objectionable for wheat to be 
sown upon this plan in the southern districts, though in the north of 
England it is frequently practised, but then measures are adopted 
to consolidate the land. The crops of autumn-food, which gene- 
rally precede wheat on light land — viz., rape, turnips and rape, 
and common turnips — are always consumed upon the land by 
sheep, and the great point, after ploughing the land, is to follow 
with a land-presser, and give it time to gain firmness before the 
wheat is sown ; when this firmness cannot be gained naturally. 
