410 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 19,1887. 
We thus quote fully the last paragraph of an ex¬ 
haustive article on “ Competition in Wheat Growing,” 
published last month in the “ Quarterly Review,” not 
because we consider it faultless, but rather for its hopeful 
assurance that a future is possible for British Wheat 
growers. The advice about Wheat sowing for the cuiTent 
year came too late to be really useful, but so favourable 
was the season for the sowing of winter corn that we 
believe there is at least an average acreage of Wheat 
sown, and, what is even more important, there is already 
evidence of a decided general improvement in Wheat 
culture. It was high time that there should be such 
improvement, for although the average yield of Wheat 
per acre in this country is much higher than that of most 
others, yet we know full well it is not what it ought 
to be. 
The standard of excellence to be aimed at in Wheat¬ 
growing in this country is a minimum yield of 40 bushels 
of marketable grain per acre. To show how low the 
standard has been hitherto, both here and in other 
countries, we may take the ordinary average yield of the 
Wheat crop in England as nearly 29 bushels per acre, 
and even this low rate appears remarkable when com¬ 
pared with such averages as that of India with 10 bushels 
an acre, Eussia 8 bushels, South Australia 7 four-seventh 
bushels, Ontario 18*2 bushels, Manitoba 19-7 bushels, 
Chili and the Argentine Republic only 4 bushels, while 
New Zealand (owing to its naturally fertile soil) has the 
comparatively abundant yield of 26^ bushels. These 
figures are taken from the article in the “ Quarterly,” and 
are therefore presumably correct. They not only go to 
prove the superiority of British farming, but also tend to 
show how much of the so-called farming in other countries 
consists of the careless easy-going practice of merely 
turning up the soil and sowing it with corn till all avail¬ 
able natural stores of fertility are exhausted. The Wheat 
so produced is, so far as we have been able to ascertain, 
a light, thin, inferior grain; but it is so dry and hard as 
to bear storage well, and so is in a suitable condition for 
importation. 
We are told that this foreign Wheat, with the possible 
exception of that sent from India, has been supplied at a 
loss to the growers, and that the Wheat-growing area of 
the world has already begun to contract, and will be 
seriously diminished unless the average price is at least 
40s. a quarter in England. In support of this there is 
such a mass of valuable evidence available that the 
collector of it is embarrassed by its volume. A some¬ 
what lengthy epitome of this evidence is given, and its 
general tendency goes to show that we may hopefully 
continue the struggle for supremacy both in the culture 
of Wheat and in the profitable sale of it in our own 
markets. In support of this we quote another passage 
from this valuable compilation of facts, for that is really 
what the “ Quarterly ” article is :—“ Taking the average 
value of the English Wheat crop at recent prices to have 
been £8 an acre, and that of the American crop to be 
33s., is there any reason why American competition 
should drive our Wheat growers from their accustomed 
industry ? We think not, and we maintain that English 
farmers can continue to grow Wheat at £8 an acre longer 
than American farmers can keep on growing it at 33s. 
If the game of “ beggar my neighbour” is to go on, the 
American will be the first to throw up his hand. It is 
absurd to suppose that there is necessarily a difference of 
£6 7s. an acre in the cost of Wheat-growing in the two 
countries. Our climate and soil are better for Wheat 
than those of America, and the crop here is much less 
liable to suffer damage or partial destruction. If we used 
no manure for Wheat, we should, by keeping to our rota¬ 
tion of crops, grow about double the American average 
yield. English farmers have been handicapped by high 
rents, tithes, rates, and railway rates; but all these can 
be reduced, and wages are only about half as high here 
as on the other side of the Atlantic, while almost every¬ 
thing that the farmer has to buy is a great deal cheaper 
in this country in consequence of the Protectionist tariff 
of the United States.” 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
The rolling of late-sown corn has been (lone, and both horse and 
hand hoes are kept briskly at work among the weeds, which are plentiful 
enough. Everything that is possible must be done to keep down 
Charlock, of which the plants are more abundant in many a field than 
are those of the legitimate crop. The wide-spread growth of this pest is 
a standing reproach to farmers generally, and is one of the most striking 
signs of the easy-going slovenly practice which has so long been 
prevalent in farm management. There is no doubt that Charlock 
seed has been sown with the corn over and over again till it has become 
thoroughly established in the soil. Such an expression about an annual 
weed may appear somewat singular, but it seeds so freely and the seed 
is so well protected by its stout tough case that it is not easily destroyed. 
If we plough land infested with Charlock and wait till the pest is in 
full growth before wc plough it in, we dare not hope to have got rid of 
it, more and more seed being stirred into activity each time the soil is 
stirred. When land is badly infested with it as much as can be spared 
should be broken up early in spring and sown with White Mustard 
(Sinapis alba), the growth of which so closely resembles Charlock that 
both spring up together, and just as they have the seed pocb well 
developed, but before any approach to ripening, they are ploughed in. 
An immediate repetition of the process enables us to get rid of very 
much of the Charlock and to turn it to account to enrich the soil which 
it would otherwise infest and rob. By following with a crop of Swedes 
or White Turnips with the rows kept far enough apart for a free use 
of the horse hoe, we secure a useful supply of roots, and are able to 
destroy any other Charlock which may appear. If the root crop is 
cleared by folding sheep upon it the land would then be in capital 
condition for a crop of Barley. We may explain that Charlock is Wild 
Mustard (Sinapis arvensis). The appearance of the Wheat crop is most 
promising, especially on heavy land, but much of the Barley has suffered 
from late frost, evidence of which is seen in the yellow hue of the plant. 
Winter Oats suffered more or less in exposed positions _from the severity 
of the winter, and a somewhat thin plant is the result. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Renovating Old Pasture (W. J .).—It is much too late to apply grass, 
seed to old pasture before the haymaking. It may be done immediately 
after the haymaking if the weather is showery, but in a hot dry summer 
success is very doubtful. We therefore advise you to put off sowing the 
renovating mixture till the beginning of next March. If before sowii-.g 
the seed you are able to give the pasture a moderate dressing of road 
sidings, ditch scourings, or similar matter, which has been collected in a 
heap some time previously, and follow the sowing with a bush or chain 
harrow, you will promote speedy germination of the seed and ensure a 
quick strong growth of the plant. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lat. 51° 3!' 40" N.; Lin?, 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
Ilygrome- 
g . 
O 3^. 
Shade Tem- 
Radiation 
d 
1887. 
ter. 
Z 2 a 
O,— i o 
P 
perature. 
Temperature 
"3 
M 
May. 
1 
In 
On 
M2 3 
Dry. 
Wet. 
5o 
H 
Max. 
Min. 
sun. 
grass 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Id. 
Sunday . 
33.433 
59.4 
52.4 
N.W. 
47.7 
71.2 
43 3 
114.3 
35.9 
Monday. 
30.397 
56.0 
52.1 
w. 
49.4 
69.2 
47.6 
118.8 
44.3 
_ 
Tuesday .. 
10 
3C.896 
66.2 
48.7 
W. 
50.6 
6 5.5 
446 
1121 
36.3 
_ 
Wednesday. 
11 
30.257 
56.2 
50.1 
N.W. 
51.2 
61.2 
46 4 
94.6 
49.9 
0.086 
Thursday... 
12 
30.115 
55 9 
53.1 
N. 
5".8 
59.7 
50.8 
83.2 
45.6 
0.049 
Friday . 
13 
30.213 
463 
41.9 
N. 
50.4 
52.4 
422 
95.2 
38.2 
0.010 
Saturday ... 
14 
30.359 
48 6 
45.3 
N. 
49.2 
59.2 
38.7 
109 4 
34 3 
30.810 
54.1 
49.1 
49.9 
62.8 
44 8 
103 9 
39.4 
0.095. 
REMARK?. 
8th.—Bright and hot. 
9th.— Dull early; floe tr'ght day. 
10th.—Fine and bright; white butteifly seen; lunar halo and paraselen* at night, 
ilth.—Generally fine morning, but spots of rain about 10 AM.; reet of tt« t'uy 
showery. 
12th.—Overcast morning with spots of rain ; fair afternoon; evening again damp. 
13th.—Alternate sunshine and .pots of rain. 
14th.—Fine and generally bright. 
Considerably warmer than the two previous weeks; fine and bright, and of average 
temperature.— G. J. Symons. 
