JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ September 28, 1882 . 
derived from fallowing on heavy land clearly corroborates all that 
the practical farmer has ever claimed as the advantage to be ob¬ 
tained by the fallowing or the growth of green crops, irrespective 
of the cleansing and attrition of the soil under preparation for 
autumn seeding. , 
We find another strong reason for Wheat not answering so well 
after Clover lea in moist climates, which is the greater vigour of 
the grasses which may have been turned under in ploughing the 
lea. These are more difficult to overcome, and any couch which 
may be found remaining in the soil is not kept in check by the 
Wheat plant either in spring or early summer. These grasses m 
consequence grow up amongst the Wheat crop, and the land is 
left in a more foul and impoverished condition. We must, how¬ 
ever, here remark that, as a matter of farming under such climatic 
conditions, the home farmer is not justified in either sowing his 
Wheat broadcast or in drilling it with narrow intervals, and the 
only way under the circumstances above related that he can ever 
be master of his position will be by drilling or press-drilling the 
seed at from 10 to 12 inches between the rows of corn, m order 
that room may be afforded for horse and hand-hoeing. 
Let us now consider the alternative, for when Oats follow the 
grass crop the result is very different, especially if the seed is sown 
over the land broadcast or drilled at close intervals, because a 
liberal allowance of seed goes far to insure a thickly planted crop, 
and this having the start of the grasses or weeds smothers them, 
or at any rate prevents their injuring the cereal crop. Upon this 
subject it is stated on the farming of Somersetshire in Mr. Ackland s 
report in the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society, that after 
grass ploughed down Oats are taken u to clean the land, as the 
farmers say, and permit its being sown with Wheat the following 
year. In contrast to the foregoing observations we find Mr. 
Hannam states most decidedly the advantages of vegetable 
decaying substances as manure for the cereals in all dry climates, 
for he says, as stated in Morton’s “ Cyclopcedia of Agriculture, 
that—“ It is only after a good crop of depastured seeds that a full 
crop of Wheat can be grown upon the high and dry wolds and the 
limestone and chalk hills that have been brought into cultivation 
in this country and in the south-east of England. Now this de¬ 
caying of vegetable matter appears to improve the soil, not only by 
its attraction for moisture, but it also to a certain extent regulates 
the supply of ammonia to plants by only slowly yielding it— 
a matter of immense economy in the feeding of plants. 
Mr. C. S. Read, in his writings upon the farming of the county 
of Norfolk, with his great practical knowledge and experience, 
remarks Holkham is not the natural soil for Wheat. In those 
wet seasons, when there was so poor a Wheat crop throughout 
the kingdom, the nitrate of soda here produced the greatest 
results.” With regard to spring sowing of Wheat this is entirely 
a matter of climate, where soil and cultivation are equal, for in 
the western counties, Wales, and Scotland, the climate is quite 
favourable to the growth of spring-sown Wheat. The less forcing 
temperature by day, and greater humidity, prolongs the growth of 
the plant, and developes it more grossly, and with a broader blade 
so a 3 to produce much heavier crops with the same amount of 
manure. Light soils also in the west of England sustain its 
growth in a most remarkable manner, and in consequence it 
almost resembles Barley in its quickness of growth ; and when 
contrasted with Barley the comparison is favourable to the growth 
of Wheat, for it is not so liable to fall or lodge with rains as 
Bcirlcy. 
In a general report of the Agricultural Society of Scotland by 
Sir John Sinclair, which aptly illustrates the effect of the Scottish 
climate, it states that during a series of years the Wheat crop 
brought in the largest money return, as compared with Barley 
and Oats, to the Scottish farmer, but more particularly in the 
Lothians and certain eastern districts ; and we can say that 
practically the same returns hold good comparatively now as was 
true of them many years ago, for it is founded upon climatic 
influence, which is the same as ever, although it may change from 
year to year, for it is still found that Wheat is not grown above a 
certain altitude in the highland districts. The period of sowing 
Barley seems very wisely to be regulated by the influence of 
climate. A most important point here arises—viz., the seedtime 
for Barley ; for it is found in the eastern and southern counties 
that it succeeds best when sown as soon as the land can be got 
into working condition, whether it happens in February or March ; 
whereas Mr. Read, in his “ Report of the Agriculture of South 
Wales ” states, that “ The season for putting in Barley is generally 
from the first week in April to the middle of May.” Although it 
is necessary to sow Barley early in any districts where the soil is 
dry and the climate forcing, but in the late districts where the 
rainfall is greatest, although Oats succeed best, yet on the kindest 
soils Barley may be sown. It is, however, considered the best 
practice to sow in April and May ; but it is usually sown after the 
Wheat crop, the rotation being—1st, Turnips ; 2nd, Wheat; 3rd, 
Clover ; 4th, Wheat; 5th, Barley. 
We find it pointed out by nearly all writers upon the agricul¬ 
ture of Wales, the western counties of England, and moist climates 
of Scotland, that Barley, like most other cereals, the later it is 
sown in spring the less manure it requires to produce a given 
quantity of grain. Where the custom of late sowing prevails, and 
it is the practice to take repeated crops of grain, it is invariably 
resorted to as a means of augmenting the produce. The influence 
of climate on the productiveness of the Oat crop is well known ; 
it will not, therefore, be necessary for us to dwell long upon the 
matter. It is, however, a plant that requires a larger amount of 
moisture than any other cereal, but especially of Barley or Wheat; 
these both become plumper and thinner in the skin when the 
temperature is moderately high during the ripening season : on 
the other hand, Oats lose their plumpness under a high tempera¬ 
ture, for they often become thin and light in weight. Hence the 
success of Oat culture in the highlands of Scotland, where they 
are grown successfully upon soils at altitudes which preclude the 
growth of Wheat entirely, and Barley also. We may, however, 
here notice that both white and black sorts of winter Barley a 
Russian produce originally, and called Bere and .Bigg -may be 
sown with success in our northern latitudes and moister climates ; 
and we can recommend the experiment of their growth as against 
that of Oats. We must now conclude for the present, but we have 
much to say and many points to illustrate as regards the influence 
of climate upon the pulse crops, root crops, &c., which we hope 
to do on a future occasion, as other subjects now demand our 
attention. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Horse Labour .—The harvest has now, even in the late north- 
western districts, been nearly finished, except in the highlands of 
Scotland, where the Oat crop is grown on high mountain sides in 
preference to other cereals; and fortunately the weather has lately 
proved favourable, so that but little delay has occurred in the late 
districts, being a great contrast when we think of the delay and 
difficulty of harvesting the crops of last year. Although the harvest 
in the earliest counties has not been exceptionally forward, still, the 
weather having set in fine at and after its conclusion, has proved 
favourable to the cultivation of those fields intended for roots, 
Potatoes, Mangold, and Swedes next spring. By the use of steam 
during the past month—that is, by cultivating a fair depth longways 
and crossways, and followed by horse labour, using Howard s self¬ 
lifting harrow, removing any couch, weeds, or rubbish, will have 
completed the surface fallow, so that after the Wheat seedtime is 
over the land may be deeply ploughed and allowed to lie thus during 
the winter. Instead of ploughing again in the spring, the. bunches 
of grass and couch, if any. may be removed by the women with forks, 
which will be money well expended, because it will save the great 
expense of borse labour otherwise often necessary to complete the 
fallow in the spring. By this time all the seeding has been done for 
Trifolium, Rye. and Vetches, and the next work will be seeding of 
winter Beans and winter Barley, so that all these crops may be sown 
in good season before the seeding for Wheat commences, and espe¬ 
cially is this desirable upon anything like strong flat-lying soils. 
Preparation, however, should now be made for seeding the Wheat 
land particularly where it comes in after fallow or roots or green 
crops, such as Vetches fed off, Mustard ploughed in, otherwise 
after the autumn rains set in it is difficult to obtain a good seed bed 
for Wheat on such land until the spring, when it must be sown with 
Oats or Barley, for cold heavy land does not answer for spring Wheat 
in the majority of seasons. The Clover and grass leas may be left 
until all the before-named crops are seeded, and also all autumn 
fallows are completed, which, if it cannot be done by horse labour 
only, should be done by the hiring of steam power. 
The next work will be laying out and spreading the dung upon 
Clover leas, and spreading as fast as laid out, especially upon dry 
kind soils on the vale farms, because the seedtime may be delayed for 
Wheat out of lea until the last week of October and the first week 
in November. But on the hill farms of light soils and cold aspects 
the Wheat should be got in the first week of October, or earlier if the 
land is strong soil, such as clay upon chalk and strong red soils in 
red sandstone districts. 
Hand Labour .—Trenching in the water meadows should be con¬ 
tinued until completed in readiness for the reception of flood water 
arising from the first heavy volume of autumn rain. Filling and 
spreading manure from the farmyard or heaps will now employ some 
labour. The roots of certain kinds are very foul with weeds and 
should be hoed, or the weeds hand-pulled in order to prevent their 
seeding, remembering that “ One year’s seeding means seven years 
weeding.” The hedging and cleansing of the dykes should now be 
done, especially on those farms where much under-draining has been 
effected, so that as soon as these begin to discharge freely there may 
be no accumulations or stoppages at the outlets of the mam drains. 
Live Stock. —In speaking of sheep stock for this period we must 
refer first to the horned Dorset and Somerset stock; these, as well 
