The Past Agricultural Year. 
219 
equally well on both fields ; on the former they were not seriously 
affected by surlace-wceds ; on the latter they were so ovcr<i;rown 
by them that there was no alternative but to scuffle them up, 
which was done by steam, working ' Coleman's Cultivator ' in 
the second week of May, and mangolds with a few swedes were 
drilled again. Another crop of weeds came up with the man- 
golds, but this time the one grew as fast as the other, and in 
spite of rain the latter gained possession of the land. This 
detail is given to show the importance of autumn cultivation 
for this crop. It would appear that the seeds of annual weeds 
upon the field so treated vegetated in part, and were destroyed 
by frost and subsequent scarifying and harrowing at the time 
of sowing, while upon the unploughed field they were dormant 
until exposed to atmospheric inlluence by cultivation, and so 
weeds and mangold seed vegetated together. The result has 
been that with more liberal treatment and the expense of second 
planting on this field, the crop has been 8 tons less per acre 
than on that which was got ready in the autumn. 
" So much for the effects of the wet season upon cabbages and 
mangolds. It also delayed the preparation of the land for swedes 
and turnips, and the sowing was late. On land adapted to 
these crops barley and wheat generally looked moderately well, 
though wanting sunshine ; the clover and rye-grass abundant. 
" But it is upon the heavy lands that the effect of the continued 
rains has been most disastrous. Previous wet seasons made the 
effectual fallowing of such land after vetches or mixed seeds, eaten 
off early, impossible. Dead fallows are well nigh exploded, 
and would have been worse to clean in such seasons than the 
attempted midsummer fallows. This kind of land has conse- 
quently for the last five years been getting fouler, and the 
manure is washed out of it, so even with a favourable spring, an 
average wheat crop could not have been expected ; but now it 
seemed hopeless: the wheat and barley upon clay and marl gene- 
rally looking very badly. At the same time it must be added that 
the timely application of top-dressings to the growing crops 
upon such land has this season had a wonderful effect in enabling 
them to withstand the effect of constant saturation ; and where 
this has been done there will be an abundance of straw. What 
the product of corn may be it is yet (July 1879) too soon to cal- 
culate upon, but with straw enough there is hope. Unfortunately 
previous bad seasons and present low prices have discouraged 
expenditure in this direction. 
" The clover crops on the strong lands are good. Hay will be 
fully an average, though damaged to some extent by floods. We 
only want the predicted drought to secure these crops and clean 
the fallows, and the prospects would brighten wonderfully. 
