326 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Oct be. 4,1888. 
WHEAT SOWING. 
After a season remarkable for fluctuations of weather, and 
•consequently with more than the ordinary difficulties which beset 
the farmers’ calling, we have come to the end of the agricultural 
year and are face to face with the beginning of another. No 
•cessation of work, no rest, in the common reception of the term, 
must there be, for so late was the harvest that the carting of the 
last load of corn had to be followed at once by a prompt prepara¬ 
tion of the land for sowing green crops and winter corn, among 
which Wheat still holds the leading place. 
Pressure of business prevented us seeing the finish of harvest 
•on one of our off-hand farms. When we went there a few 
•days subsequently the first sight we beheld was a Barley stack 
near the road with a couple of green Oak branches thrust into the 
top, to proclaim to all and sundry that the harvest was ended and 
that it was the last stack built on that farm. Turning from that 
not unwelcome sight we found ploughs and manure carts in full 
swing in preparation for autumn cropping. “ Well done !’’ said we to 
the bailiff, “ make the most of the fine weather for carting, plough¬ 
ing, and sowing, and leave all corn-threshing alone till the winter 
•corn is in.” The ploughs were at work upon an old Clover layer 
upon which sheep had been folded, so that it was thoroughly 
manured in readiness for Wheat. Other land which had been a 
bastard fallow, and then sown with White Mustard, had alieady 
had that valuable green crop ploughed in and was quite ready for 
sowing. Two fields from which winter Beans had just been 
•cleared were being dressed with pig manure to be ploughed in for 
Wheat, and this comprised all the Wheat land for next season on 
that farm. But there are some ninety acres adjoining this farm 
falling in hand from a tenant this Michaelmas, upon which there is 
a full proportion of bare fallow under the old four-course shift, 
and this fallow land will be sown with Wheat immediately after 
Michaelmas. We know full well how low in fertility the tenants’ 
fallows aro, and shall have to resort to an autumn and spring 
dressing of chemical manure for the Wheat in order to insure a 
profitable crop. The formula is in autumn half cwt. nitrate of 
soda, quarter cwt. steamed bone flour, quarter cwt. mineral 
superphosphate. In spring half cwt. muriate of potash, 
cwt. nitrate of soda, lv cwt. steamed bone flour, half cwt. 
mineral superphosphate. The manures are procured separately 
from a reliable source and mixed at the farm under close super¬ 
vision. 
All due care being taken to keep the land clean, free from 
superfluous water, and well stored with fertility, the next point of 
equal importance is to select and sow good seed. Glad indeed are 
ave to say we have no difficulty now about the seed, for we have 
got rid of all inferior sorts from the whole of our farms, and the 
•only question is which sort is best for all seasons. The sorts to 
which we give preference now are Defiance and Squarehead. Of 
these Defiance has much the finest grain this year, but Squarehead 
has so many high qualities that we feel bound to use some, and we 
shall sow about 200 acres of it. Of Defiance the published 
•character is as follows :—“ This very popular red Wheat is distinct 
from and far superior to any other variety on account of its pro¬ 
ductiveness and grand quality. The ear is of large size and re¬ 
markably thick set, while the grain is wonderfully plump and 
•eagerly sought after by millers. It has also the great advantage of 
being very free from rust, and succeeds well where other red 
Wheats fail.” There ! is not that a good character ? We certainly 
a e able to say after growing it for two years that it answers 
well to most of the description. But what are we to say to the 
more recent introduction termed Silvator by one firm and 
Mountain White Wheat by another ? It is a white bearded Wheat, 
which, like the Beardless Barley, loses its beard as the corn ripens, 
and is said to yield 88 bushels an acre, and the straw grows 7 feet 
high. We have seen a sample of this wonderful introduction, and 
it was so superior to ordinary Wheat that we have ordered some of 
it for trial, and if it proves at all equal to the description it will be 
used on our heavy land farms. All is not gold that glitters, but 
we always give a fair trial to any novelty of promise, for we hold 
that it answers to grow the be3t sorts and only the best. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Harvest work is now practically over, the only crop out as we write 
being some spring Beans, which are still green, but the pods are full 
and the crop one of remarkable abundance, with such strong growth 
that the sheaves have the appearance of huge faggots. Late sown Peas 
proved a troublesome crop, ripening very slowly owing to the abnormal 
growth induced by a wet season, All have now been carted in fair order. 
As the last were still somewhat immature we had them put into long 
narrow stacks through which the air can circulate and dry the Peas 
thoroughly. The latest fields of Barley had the corn in best order when 
carted, for the recent spell of fine bright weather has indeed proved a 
blessing to farmers generally. Much caution will be necessary in 
threshing corn this season, as so much has been carted without being 
quite dry and hard. 
Of work pressing for immediate attention ploughing land for green 
crop and winter corn is the most important. Those fortunate farmers 
having steam tackle may be able to get some land clean for spring crops 
also, but that is just a question of fine weather. First of all we will 
sow Rye and Winter Tares, then come winter Beans, Oats, and Wheat. 
On heavy land especially we cannot push on Wheat-sowing too fast 
for we like a full strong plant before severe winter weather sets in. 
Our best crops of Wheat this year on heavy land was from seed so vn 
in September, but Wheat-sowing in September this year was impossible, 
and so we must just do our best in October. We have still got the 
mowing of second crop Clover and Sainfoin to do, but we cannot hope 
to save any good Clover seed now, and must try and turn it to account 
for forage. Much Clover has been folded by sheep, but there has been 
such a superabundance of green food that it was impossible to use the 
whole of it in that way. Sheep now find a brisk sale at high prices, 
and the full crop of roots certainly justifies the proceeding, but let 
farmers look well to a due provision of green crops for spring use 
also. 
Agricultural Lectures. —The annual course of lectures on 
agriculture will be given at the City of London College, Moorfields, on 
Tuesday evenings, at 7 P.M., beginning on October 2nd, by Mr. Bernard 
Dyer, B.Sc., F.C.S., F.L.S., Consulting Chemist to the Essex, Leicester, 
and Devon Agricultural Societies. The lectures will treat of soils, plant 
life, manures, tillage operations, live stock, dairying, food, &c. The 
course will be in connection with the Government Science and Art 
Department, and will end in May. In addition to the College and other 
prizes, the Sadlers’ Guild offer, as in former years, a prize of £5 5s. to 
the student who passes the best examination in chemistry and agri¬ 
culture. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lat. 51° 82' 40" N.; L mg. 0° 8'0" W.; Altitude, lit feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
In the day. 
Hygrome- 
a . 
Shade Tem- 
Radiation 
a 
1888. 
ter. 
T3 a 
Ol h 
&=8 
perature. 
Temperature- 
3 
September. 
V ® rl 
In 
On 
a 
Dry. 
Wet. 
5o 
H 
Max. 
Min. 
sun. 
grass 
Inches. 
deg 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Hunday . 
23 
30.193 
54.5 
54.1 
N.E. 
57.0 
61.2 
50 2 
72 4 
41.5 
0 0D 
Monday. 
24 
19 970 
.59 3 
57.6 
N. 
56 3 
68 4 
51.6 
91.7 
45.9 
0.135 
Tuesday .... 
25 
30.<O6 
55.7 
55 7 
sr.E. 
57.0, 
56.9 
541 
69.1 
54.1 
0.308 
Wednesday.. 
26 
30 2.3') 
54.3 
519 
N.E. 
55 7 
62.3 
48.4 
91.7 
46 5 
_ 
Thursday.... 
27 
30.237 
66 4 
51-8 
N.E. 
55 3 
64 3 
4.5 
96.8 
39.8 
— 
Friday . 
28 
30.095 
55.3 
52.9 
N.E. 
54 0 
62.8 
48 8 
65.8 
44.0 
0 07 5 
Saturday .... 
29 
29.803 
58.6 
57.2 
N.E. 
65.2 
681 
55.1 
100.8 
546 
0.2 Si 
30.079 
5 4.3 
64 5 
55.8 
63.4 
50.7 
84.0 
46.6 
0.823 
REMARKS. 
23rd.—Misty morning, cloudy day, br'glit evening and night. 
24'h.- S ight shoiv rs early and about midday, other .vise fine and bright. 
25th.—Wet morning, dull afternoon and evening. 
26th.- Fine and bright. 
2,’th. - Cloudless morning, fine afternoon, with solar halo 4.S0 to 5 p.W. 
2rfih.—M siy morning,dull drizvly day, with showers In the afternoon. 
••SKli.—Dud morning, fine day ; sudden fcetvy rain at 9.'. l’.M., lasting till after midn’ght. 
A variable week, but with much more fine and bright weather than would be 
inferred from the number of wet days and total rainfa'l. Temperature abo it S'ibo.e 
the average.—G. J. SVM0N8. 
