in  its  Effect  on  Cultivation. 
39 
heat  best  adapted  to  the  oat.  Where  it  exceeds  59^  barley  should 
be  grown  in  preference,  if  the  soil  is  favourable.  Thus  in  North 
Wales,  in  the  north  of  England,  and  in  Scotland  this  grain  is  grown 
in  great  perfection.  In  the  moist  climate  of  Ireland  ten  acres  of 
oats  are  grown  to  one  of  other  corn.  Excellent  crops  are  grown 
at  Exmoor  1000  feet  above  the  sea,  yielding  60  bushels  an  acre. 
On  Dartmoor,  1100  feet  high,  this  grain  answers  well,  the 
harvest  being  about  a fortnight  later  than  on  the  low  lands. 
87.  The  mild,  wet  winters  of  the  west  often  produce  injurious 
effects  on  the  wheat  crop.  The  plant  is  kept  in  a state  of  excite- 
ment during  a mild  February  and  March,  and  puts  forth  its 
powers  of  growth  only  to  be  cut  down  by  a frost,  or  to  be  injured 
by  a north-west  wind.  A continuation  of  warm,  moist  weather 
through  the  spring,  produces  a great  bulk  of  long  flaggy  straw, 
which  is  laid  by  the  westerly  gales  or  by  a few  showers  of  rain.  A 
cold  March  is  therefore  especially  desirable  in  the  west,  and  gene- 
rally arises  from  the  continuance  of  easterly  winds,  driving  back  the 
moisture  of  the  Atlantic,  and  covering  the  land  with  the  dry  air  of 
the  Continent.  The  growth  of  the  wheat-plant  receives  a whole- 
some check,  which  causes  it  to  spread  (tiller)  better,  prevents  a 
premature  development  of  shoots,  and  promotes  on  the  return  of 
spring  that  healthy  vegetation  which  is  so  essential  for  a productive 
harvest.  A dry  March  is  also  desirable  for  the  spring  crops,  in 
order  that  the  ground  may  be  well  cleaned  and  properly  worked. 
It  has  become  a proverb  in  the  west,  that  “ a peck  of  dust  in 
March  is  worth  a king’s  ransom.”  The  most  productive  harvest 
ever  known  in  this  part  of  the  kingdom  (the  south-west)  was  in 
1818,  when  February  was  3°  below  the  mean,  and  the  whole  of 
the  spring  months  below  an  average.  The  summer  was  in  excess 
4°-3. 
88.  The  wet  winters  in  the  west  of  England  further  injure  the 
wheat  on  undrained  clay  soils  by  an  excess  of  moisture.  If  sown 
in  ridges,  the  middle  of  the  ridge  has  the  best  chance  to  escape 
the  damage,  and  some  little  of  the  top-water  is  thrown  into  the 
furrow  and  runs  off ; but  the  interstices  of  the  soil  are  so  choked 
with  water,  that  no  air  can  get  to  the  roots  of  the  plants,  which 
sicken  and  turn  yellow.  The  heavy  winter  rain  also  beats  the 
surface  of  the  soil  into  a paste,  which  on  the  return  of  dry  weather 
is  baked  into  a hard  crust,  hermetically  sealing  the  land  to  atmos- 
pheric influence,  and  so  injuring  the  wheat  that  a scanty  crop 
invariably  follows.  The  best  husbandmen  are  therefore  desirous 
of  not  working  the  wheat-land  down  to  a fine  tilth,but  to  leave  it 
in  a rough  state ; the  clods  are  broken  by  a roller  in  spring,  and 
a light  harrow  opens  the  soil ; the  wheat  wonderfully  revives  and 
flourishes  after  this  treatment.  It  should  be  remembered  that 
thus  lightly  breaking  the  face  of  the  soil,  has  a beneficial  influence 
