106 
Ploughing-in Green Crops. 
the same direction in which the plough would follow, and by 
attaching a chain and weight to the coulter of the plough (the 
weight trailing in the furrow at about the middle of the mould- 
board), the whole of the crop was completely covered : the work 
was firmly pressed by a two-wheel presser, following every two 
ploughs. When this operation was completed, the land was 
allowed to remain about three weeks before the wheat was put 
in. The seed was deposited at a fair depth by a Suffolk drill, 
traversing the field at right angles to the plough, the weather at 
the time being favourable : it was immediately afterwards gone 
over with a Crosskill's clodcrusher, which left it in a very firm 
state. The wheat, " Essex Rough Chaff," came up strong and 
healthy, and stood the winter remarkably well, and at harvest 
produced a crop of first-rate quality, which averaged quarters 
per acre over the whole of the field. As already stated, the land 
had been under a variety of different crops the preceding year : 
one portion of it had been wheat, and here the crop was barely 
2^ quarters per acre. Leaving the neighbourhood before the 
succeeding season, I had no opportunity of judging of the follow- 
ing crops. 
Vegetable manuring produces the most marked effect on light 
sandy soils and in dry climates. Mr. R. Russell, in his paper in 
the ' Royal Agricultural Society's Journal,' on the Influence of 
Climate on Cultivation, says : — " The decaying vegetable matter 
seems to improve the physical texture of the soil by its attraction 
for moisture ; it also, to some extent, regulates the supply of am- 
monia to the plants by only slowly yielding it up — a matter of 
much economy in the feeding of plants. These influences com- 
bined have the effect of sustaining vegetation in a comparatively 
healthy state during periods of drought.* " 
On strong lands green manuring is less important, their reten- 
tive character enabling them to retain a sufficient supply of 
moisture to maintain the plant in a progressive and healthy state 
during long periods of drought. These soils also possess the 
power of storing up a quantity of ammonia in an insoluble state, 
which is taken up by the roots according to the requirements 
of the plant. 
Buckwheat is particularly well adapted for the purpose of green- 
manuring on sandy soils, from the rapidity of its growth and the 
large quantity of succulent foliage which it is capable of pro- 
ducing in a short time. The plant has not hitherto received the 
amount of attention which it merits. 
A description of the use of green-manures would be incom- 
plete without a detailed account of the use of wrack or 
* Vol. XX. p. 164. 
