Continuous Corn Growing. 
59 
pel" acre, will probably, as in former years, be disposed of for 
paper-making, the Spanish wars having interfered with the sup- 
plies of the Esparto grass. For cutting, tying, and shocking, 
"J.').s. per acre is being paid. Some of the best of this good 
crop is on land which Mr. Middleditch found under old turf, 
but on which corn has since been grown uninterruptedly for 
three, and on one portion for four years. On one part of 
this enclosure where it was recently drained, Avith the further 
disadvantage of being -ploughed and drilled wet, the crop was 
thin and poor, several lots realising only Al. per acre. Amongst 
these thin portions wild oats had shown themselves, and 
Mr. Middleditch is now convinced that a summer-fallow or 
early-spring cultivation, and a crop of oats or barley, would 
have answered better than wheat. For two years, excepting for 
drilling and hoeing, horses have not been employed in the 
cultivation of this large field. During September, 1873, the 
steam-ploughing was performed ifi ten days, the engines working 
from daylight till dark. In October, 140 acres were drilled with 
about 1 J bushel of Rivett wheat, in 10-inch rows : a consider- 
able proportion was deposited by the steam-drill. In spring 
the crop was harrowed, part of it horse-hoed, most of it hand- 
hoed, whilst the weakest portions of it received a dressing of 
about 2 cwt. superphosphate, and 1 cwt. nitrate of soda. 
Visiting Blunsdon on January 8th, 1875, I found that 70 acres 
of this fine field had been steam-ploughed in September, dragged 
and again drilled with 6 pecks of Rivett wheat, which looked 
forward and vigorous, and perfectly clean ; indeed with such 
crops there is little room for weeds. Sixty acres, including that 
portion where the inferior spring-wheat had grown, have been 
steam-ploughed early, advantage taken of the dry weather in 
August, dragged and drilled October 12th to 16th with winter 
beans. Two bushels of seed were deposited per acre, in rows 
19 inches apart, with the steam-drill, which delivered at the 
same time doses of the following manures : — 3 cwt. super- 
phosphate ; 2 cwt. superphosphate with 4 cwt. ashes ; 5 cwt. 
lime with 1 cwt. salt ; 6 cwt. Bristol manure, made from the 
dead and damaged Irish, foreign, and colonial beasts, from 
which all available fatty matter is first extracted. To secure 
the regular distribution of these manures, they are drilled along 
with 1 cwt. of kiln-dust, obtained from Burton at a cost of 
4/. per ton. Five acres are set apart for each manure ; up 
the middle of each plot is a strip from which the manure 
has been altogether withheld. Such experiments may probably 
discover what hitherto has been a desideratum, namely, a trust- 
worthy portable fertiliser for the bean-crop. Throughout the 
beans look remarkably strong and regular, and promise to be 
