$40 II U S B A 
be expofed to much danger from various caufes. Indeed 
experience has abundantly fhown that late-fown wheats 
f'eldom fuc.ceed fo well, or afford fuch plentiful crops, as 
thofe that are put in early. From the beginning of Sep¬ 
tember to the end of October, may certainly be confidered 
as the moft favourable period for this bufmefs. This is, 
indeed, confirmed by the eftabliffied praftice of the belt 
farmers in almoft every diftricl of the kingdom, where 
wheat is much grown. If fovvn earlier, efpecially on the 
heavy kinds of foil, the land is for the molt part in too hard 
and lumpy a ffate to allow of the feed being properly cover¬ 
ed by the harrow; and in the lighter ones in too dry a con- 
tirtion for the grain to vegetate in a proper manridr; and, 
when delayed later, the ground in one cafe is apt to be-' 
come too wet and clofe by the falling of the autumnal 
rains, and in the other too loofe and porous from the ac¬ 
tion of the early frofts. There are, however, circum- 
ftances that often render the times of fowing different 
from the above ; as where the foils are of the rich, fertile, 
loamy, chalky, or gravelly, kinds, it may be better to defer 
it in many inftances to a l'omewhat later period-; for when 
fuch warm forts of land are cropped too early, they are 
apt to put the plants forward in fuch a rapid manner that 
they become weak and fpindling in the early fpring- 
months ; and at the fame time, the crops are more liable 
to be infefted with weeds, on account of the feafon being 
then more favourable to their growth. 
The quantity of feed to be fown on an acre mull often 
depend upon a variety of different circumftances ; but in 
general from two to three bufhels, according to the ftate 
of the foil, the nature of the climate, and thp period in 
which it is to be,fovvn, may be efteemed the moft fuitabie. 
proportion for foils of a medium deg;ree of fertility, under 
the broadcaft method of hufbandry ; but, where the drill 
fyftem of culture is pradlifed, a confiderably lefs propor¬ 
tion will be fufficient for the purpofe. 
On the rich foils of Gloucefterlhire, the quantity gene¬ 
rally fown has been hated to be about feven pecks; while 
in many other diftrifts, as Yorkfhire, it is from eight to 
twelve. Where the lands are in a'fuitable ftate of tillage 
for receiving crops of this grain, ten pecks have been ad- 
vifed as the medium proportion. Larger quantities are 
likewife frequently fown in tli,e northern parts of the 
kingdom ; but it is obvious, that, where fuch large pro¬ 
portions of feed are-made ufe of, the plants mult be lia¬ 
ble to be drawn up too much, and the crops in confe- 
quence to become weak and imperfe&ly fed, as well as 
lmaller in the fize of the ears. There may alfo be dilad- 
vantages from making ufe of too finall proportions of 
feed, from the ground not befog properly covered with 
plants; but, where care is taken in the after-culture of 
the crops, lefs danger is probably to be apprehended from 
this than the other extreme, as a great number of plants 
will be fupplied by the tillering or (hooting-out of new 
Items from the joints about the furface, in confequence 
of the mould being laid up againft them. 
As the crops advance towards maturity, they mull be 
kept perfectly clean and free from weeds, which not only 
“injure the crop in its growth, but lefl'en the value of the 
/ample at market. The ftirring of the mould on the fur- 
face among the plants, may frequently be ufeful in other 
intentions befides that of preventing the growth of feed- 
weeds ; for, as in the heavy kinds of foil, that are moft 
adapted to this grain, the more fuperficiaj»,parts are liable 
to become fo hard and baked as not to be eafily pene¬ 
trated by the new-formed or coronal roots of the plants 
in the early fpring-months, efpecially when they-are very 
dry and have been preceded by much wet, the loofening 
of the earth by means of the harrow mull be of con- 
fiderable utility. Tbiseffeft-is generally fhown to have 
taken place by the appearance and progrefs of the crop, 
which becomes of an unhealthy yellow colour, and ad¬ 
vances but little in its growth. Where the crops are 
thin and of feeble growth, this operation may alfo pro¬ 
duce beneficial eft'efb, by affording a fort of earthing-up 
NDRY. 
of the weak plants, and thereby promote a more vigorous 
growth, at the fame time that a number of new fhoots are 
lent oft’ from the joints thus covered, and the crop, in 
confequence, rendered more full and abundant; and, where 
the grain is too thick upon the ground, it may alfo be 
ufeful by drawing out and deitroying many of the.plants. 
R-olling the land, either without having recourfe to the 
harrow, or after it has been employed, efpecially where 
the furface is cloddy, and the operation is performed 
when the ground polfeffes a medium degree of moifture, 
may be of utility in the fame way, as well as by forcing 
the roots of the wheat into the earth, and by that means 
caufing new Items to rife. On all the light thin foils, 
when this fort of grain is cultivated upon them, much 
benefit may alfo be produced by the ufe of the roller, b'y 
the roots of the plants being thereby prevented from be¬ 
ing fo e?-fily loofened and thrown out of the ground. 
Tire feeding of wheat-crops, where too forward or lux¬ 
uriant in the early fpring-months, by means of Iheep, is 
a practice that has been found of much benefit in many' 
cafes. The good effefts in fuch inftances are fuppofed to 
arife from the removal of the upright central-ftems, by 
which means different new lateral Items or root-feions are 
lent off or brought forward with more vigour, by the ac- 
quilition of a larger proportion of nutritious matter from 
the joints in confequence, that muff otherwife have been 
exhaufted in fupporting the central ftems. This practice 
has been found by experience to “be the moft ufeful on 
fuch ftrong and fertile lands as are apt to produce a 
larger proportion of ftraw than can be properly fupported. 
In thefe cafes advantage has frequently been derived by 
feeding off the blade at two or more fucceflive times ; but, 
in managing the bufinefs, great care is neceflary to fe» 
that the whole is completed before the crop begins to 
ipindle, otherwife more injury than good will be pro¬ 
duced. On lands that are very light, and the crops thin, 
injury may frequently be done by the plants being pull¬ 
ed up on'account of the clofenefs of the bite of the (beep. 
They fhould therefore never be fuffered to remain upon 
the crops when the weather is wet, and the furface of- the 
ground much loofened, or after hidden frofts and thaws ; 
as in fuch cafes much harm may be done by the plants’ 
being pulled up and defrayed. The treading of the (beep* 
is however, of great fervice in all the light forts of land, 
and where the crops are thin ; as by that means the earth 
will not only be preffed more elofely about the roots of 
the plants, but the ftems in many inftances fo forced into 
the ground and covered up, that new fhoots will be feht* 
off laterally, and the crops be thus rendered more full on 
the land. But, where the foils are more ftiff and adhe- 
five, the growth of the crops may be checked and retard¬ 
ed by the praftice, and of courfe the fhoots thus caufed 
become weak, affording only fmall ears and light grain. 
It is a practice with fbme farmers, who contend that much 
advantage is derived from it, to turn flieep upon the crops 
where danger is apprehended from worms, flugs, or other 
infefts; in order that, by keeping them conftantly in mo¬ 
tion, fuch animals may either be wholly deftroyed, or fo 
fixed in the furface-mould, as to caufe their more gradual 
decay. 
Notwithftanding that wheat is the hardieft of all grain, 
yet it is fubjeft to many difeafes, fuch as mildew, blight, 
blaft, and fmut. Long as thefe evils have been known 
to injure, and partly deftroy, our wheat-crops, it is remark- 
.able that the nature of them is to this day fo little un- 
derftood, and that their caufes have not been more deeply 
inveftigated.—But fee under the article Triticum, in 
this Encyclopaedia. 
The smut feems of late years chiefly to have prevailed 
among the wheat, in which a fort of black meal is pro¬ 
duced in the place of feed. It has-been aferibed to many 
different caufes by writers on agriculture. It is remarked 
in the Memoirs of the Bath Agricultural Society, that 
this is a difeafe-that only occurs when the weather is wet 
during the period of flowering, in which the anthera: may 
s bur ft 3 
