Septembkr 2!). 
THE COTTAGE GARDENEIC 
501 
i 
of a certain portion out; but it requires very little 
reasoning to prove how short this comes of the 
hop-kiln, iu respect to thorough ventilation. Now, 
though it may be asserted that Apples will keep tolerably 
well in a cellar, where the atmosphere being cooled down 
to several degrees below the ordinary level outside, the 
decaying powers are, to a considerable extent, arrested; 
lienee, the preservation is more due to the absence of 
decaying influence by mechanical means than to any 
benefit accruing to the fruits by the position in which they 
are placed ; besides which, a sojourn too long in such a 
place necessarily deprives them of those sugary juices 
which can only be imparted to fruit that enjoy a little, 
more or less, of the warmth of the season. It is, there¬ 
fore, on these principles, that small fruits, after being 
kept some time in the cold air of our ice-house, generally 
lose their flavour, and present little more than the 
appearance of what they once were; certainly, such 
fruits as Melons, which contain a larger proportion of 
sugary matter than many other fruits, by being placed 
in a warm medium after they are brought out of a cold 
one, regain, to a certain extent, the flavour which seemed 
latent while they were enduring the cooling-down process. 
Now, our readers will easily see, that the conditions we 
think most essential to the well preservation of our 
winter fruits, are, first of all, a cool, yet well-ventilated 
room, and not to be too crowded by the fittings; but, 
while we are recommending currents of air driven through 
at all favourable times, we would have these ventilators 
so contrived as to deny the admission of a large influx 
of outside air at a time when it is too warm or too moist; 
while, for Apples and Tears, we would supply them with 
the cold chilly air of a clear frost, and admit the north 
wind in at all times and in the greatest abundance. 
J. Hobson. 
CULTIVATION OF WHEAT. 
Of all our grain products Wheat is the most valuable, 
not only on account of its being required to furnish that 
most important article, bread, as food for the people, hut 
by reason also of its being the most rent-paying crop of 
the farmer, and, upon many well-managed soils, it forms 
the most important, and almost the only kind of grain 
grown for the purpose of sale. 
One of the most striking features in Wheat cultivation 
is its almost universal adaptation as a farm produce; 
for under a system of cultivation suited to the soil and 
situation, Wheat may be grown upon almost every kind 
of soil usually found under tillage, the nature of the 
climate alone being the chief obstacle to the growth of 
the crop. 
I do not propose, as is too often the case, to write a 
few general observations and rules known to be best t 
adapted for the cultivation of this crop upon soils in | 
general, as this is apt to confuse the uninformed, and j 
render it difficult for them to distinguish which method : 
of tillage, manuring, &c. is most desirable upon certain 
soils, in connection with the ever-varying seasons and 
circumstances with which they have to contend. It is 
rather my intention to treat the subject as applied to i 
the different soils under cultivation, and in separate 
divisions, viz.,—first, the cultivation of Wheat upon 
heavy clay land ; second, upon good loamy land ; third, 
upon sand and gravel; and fourth, upon dry chalk soils. 
The first division of my subject relates to the ma¬ 
nagement and tillage for the crop, upon heavy, or, what 
( is commonly termed Wheat land, and no doubt this de" 
| nomination originated in the fact, that formerly, no 
other crop of any importance was grown upon this 
description of soil; but since the introduction of root 
crops, and their extensive use in the feeding of sheep 
and cattle, this soil has been made to contribute largely 
to the supply of fat stock, and the production, propor- 
tionably, of larger crops of Wheat, Oats, Beans, &c. 
The successful cultivation of clay soils cannot be carried 
out unless drainage has been executed efficiently where 
required, for in most instances they will be greatly 
benefited thereby. The first object to be attained is a 
good fallow, either a winter and summer (commonly 
J called the long fallow), or otherwise, the short or winter 
i fallow, as a preparation for green crops; the object of 
the fallow, or fallow crop being for the purpose of 
cleaning and deepening the soil by tillage. After the 
fallow, the next point of importance is the rotation, or 
course of cropping. The old method, and one which is 
now nearly obsolete, was to sow the Wheat after fallow, 
followed by Oats, and then Clover, which completed the 
rotation; that rotation has, however, given way to the 
following:—First year, long fallow; second, Wheat, 
seeded to Clover; third, Clover; fourth, Oats, Beans, 
and Teas, and the latter rotation, it must he admitted, is 
preferable to the former; but the most advantageous 
and improved rotation, in all cases where the land has 
been previously in fair condition, is to make a short 
fallow, and sow with Swedes, early Turnips, Mangold, 
&c., part being sown with Tares, and summer fed by 
sheep. Second year, Oats, and Barley seeded to Clover. 
Third year, Clover. Fourth year, Wheat out of Ley. 
Fifth year, Winter Beans and Teas. Sixth year, Wheat. 
This concludes the rotation most approved by myself, 
and here introduced to notice for the purpose of shewing 
how much the preparation of land for Wheat upon this 
soil will vary according to the course of cropping 
adopted. 
I will now proceed to describe the usual method of 
making the long fallow, as named in the second course 
of cropping. Commence the fallow, or first ploughing, 
in October or November, with a furrow not less than 
seven or eight inches in depth ; strike out water-furrows, 
and make them out with the spade, it will then lay dry, 
and should be allowed to remain until the first dry 
weather in the spring, and when the grass and weeds 
begin to appear, then give the second ploughing, turning 
back the old furrow the same depth as before. 
After the land has remained, and received the benefit 
of the alternate changes of weather for several weeks, 
do not harrow the laud as it is usual to do, but proceed 
to plough, the third time crossways, the same depth as 
before; the advantage of this will be in getting the 
land loose and hollow, and making it quite level, after 
being worked with the drags, harrows, &c., and these 
are the two most important points in summer-fallowing, 
the action of the harrows, roller, &c. in the after tillage, 
being so much more effective. The land, after being 
made quite fine, may then be left for several weeks, 
