The Past Agricultural Year. 
223 
I consider that all the animals have been quite in an average 
state of health. There has been no epidemic disease. The 
drop of lambs was not quite up to the average in point of 
numbers, but they have been healthy for the most part, and 
the losses among the ewes were below the average. Horses 
have not suffered in any particular respect. Cattle did not 
thrive so well in the meadows as usual, because the grass was 
always wet and ' lush ;' but their health has been generally good. 
" (2) As to the crops of the farm — Wheat generally went in 
badly ; much of it was put in late, and in many cases the plant 
was not above the ground until after the winter frosts. During 
the early spring the plant was somewhat thin, but filled up 
considerably during April, especially upon the best soils, and 
where top-dressings were applied. The wet season in May 
and June caused a strong growth of straw and flag, and at the 
same time a great unevenness. Fine weather towards the end of 
July, just about the time of the blossoming, improved the appear- 
ance of the wheat plants most marvellously, and except that the 
soft grains looked somewhat pinched, there seemed no reason 
why there should not have been an average yield if the weather 
continued fine throughout August. On my own farm I could 
not get the wheat in on a certain piece of land until the 9th of 
March. Having seed by me of Scholey's Square Head which had 
been steeped in sulphate of copper for sowing in November, I 
sowed this, and was in fear until the change in the weather 
arrived that it would not come into ear at all. After a few fine 
days the ears appeared, and at the beginning of August there 
was a promise of an over average yield, and the plants were 
particularly even and uniform. This wheat was cut about the 
middle of September, and in spite of the continual rains during 
the latter part of August and the beginning of September stood 
almost upright and yielded 6 quarters of corn and a large 
amount of stiff straw. The quality of the grain when the wheat 
was cut was good for the season ; but it was very much injured 
by rain when in the shock. This variety of wheat was the least 
affected by the wet season ; and in most cases its straw did not 
go down, at least not so badly as that of other varieties. With 
regard to the influence of previous cultivation upon the wheat 
plant, that after fallow was perhaps the best. Slugs were 
troublesome to some of the wheat plants upon clover leys, and 
caused a certain loss of plant. The best and strongest piece of 
wheat I had, which was almost in a normal state during its 
growth, in spite of the adverse climatic influences, was after white 
tankard turnips folded in August, after rape sown in the preced- 
ing autumn and folded in March. This was put in on the 
13th of October, 1^ bushel of Scholey's Square Head being 
