Injiaence of Climate on Cultivation. 
169 
a higher temperature to grow in, they are frequently attacked 
with blight before they ripen, and an irregular sample is the 
result. 
The eastern counties possess a climate much superior to the 
west of England or Scotland for the ripening of wheat. The 
rich golden hue which the crops assume in the former just before 
harvest, is only seen in the latter in the finest seasons. It must 
not be assumed, however, that the lower temperature and more 
humid atmosphere of Scotland render it better suited for the 
growth of oats and barley than for wheat. No doubt, under the 
necessity which the climate imposes upon the Scottish farmer to 
sow oats instead of wheat after seeds, it is more difiicult to have 
such a large proportion of his land under the wheat crop. Inferior 
grains, such as oats and barley, are raised at less cost in culture 
and manure, and yield as great a net produce. That, during a 
series of years, the wheat crop brings in the largest money return 
to the Scottish farmer, is well brought out in a table in the 
appendix to the ' General Report of tlie Agricultural Society of 
Scotland,' by Sir Jolin Sinclair. An account is given of the pro- 
duce of wheat, barley, and oats, on an imperial acre, for fifteen 
years— from 1781 to 1795 — on a farm in Clackmannanshire. 
The average produce and average value were as follows : — 
£. s. d. 
Wheat 30 bushels vahie 7 13 9i 
Barlev 35 „ „ 4 17 11^ 
Oats 37d- „ „ -i 6 Oh 
It ought to be observed that the produce of both oats and 
barley per acre vary more than that of wheat. Thus, the best 
crop of wheat was in 1790, the produce being 34 bushels to the 
acre ; the worst in 1788, the produce being 20^ bushels. In 
1788, the produce of barley was 49g bushels to the acre, buS 
fell as low as 10| bushels in 1782: In 1791 the produce 
of oats was as high as 48^ bushels, and in 1782 as low as 
23i bushels. 
Wheat, when sown in autum.n, upon a sound and well-pre- 
pared soil in Scotland, is really less under the influence of those 
agents that affect the produce of the spring-sown crops. This 
was more especially the case in former times, when it was the 
general practice to sow oats and barley later in the season ; for in 
these circumstances the crops are much more liable to be afiected 
with drought or heavy rains during the seed time. A crop of 
autumn-sown wheat on a good soil is comparatively independent 
of spring droughts, and the chief risks which it runs are bad 
blooming and ripening seasons. 
The effects of climate on the growth of the barley crop will now 
be considered. These are even more marked than in the case of 
the wheat crop, and afford still more striking illustration of the 
