116 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  30,  1903. 
Preparing  Land  for  Wheat. 
Although  more  than  two  months  must  pass  before  the 
drilling  and  sowing  of  Wheat  will  commence,  it  is  not  too 
soon  to  begin  preparation  of  the  soil  for  the  reception  of 
the  seed,  and  in  certain  contingencies  it  is  highly  desirable 
that  no  time  be  lost  in  setting  about  that  preparation.  A 
large  though  decreasing  portion  of  our  British  Wheat  crop 
is  still  grown  after  seeds  under  the  old  four-course  system 
or  modifications  of  it,  and  it  is  the  preparation  of  this  seed 
land  which  has  a  very  great  bearing  on  the  success  or  failure 
of  the  crop.  At  one  time  Wheat  was  the  most  important 
crop  on  the  farm,  in  fact  the  mainstay  of  the  farmer  in  paying 
his  rent  and  making  a  profit.  In  those  days  everything  else 
was  subordinated  to  the  welfare  of  the  Wheat,  and  it  was 
quite  a  common  thing  to  see  large  areas  of  sheep  pasture 
ploughed  up  before  harvest,  so  that  the  green  sod  could 
become  decayed  and  the  land  properly  solidified  before  it 
was  time  for  the  sower  to  go  his  round. 
Wheat  has  not  changed  its  character  since  then,  and  still 
delights  in  a  firm  rooting  medium,  whilst  showing  its  dislike 
to  green,  grassy  sod  about  its  roots  ;  and  in  seasons  like  the 
present  one,  when  pastures  have  run  away  from  the  sheep 
and  present  almost  the  appearance  of  unmown  hayfields, 
it  is  especially  necessary  to  put  in  the  plough  early  if 
the  field  is  to  be  sown  with  Wheat.  Wire  worm  is  the  great 
enemy  of  the  young  Wheat  plant,  and  wireworm  is  invari¬ 
ably  most  numerous  on  land  which  has  been  allowed  to 
grow  tall  vegetation,  for  the  insect  seeks  such  whereon  to 
lay  its  eggs.  If,  therefore,  we  have  a  field  of  seeds  which 
we  wish  to  sow  with  Wheat,  and  which  is  full  of  long 
herbage,  the  sooner  we  start  ploughing  or  using  the  culti¬ 
vator  the  better.  But,  perhaps,  we  want  the  pasture  for 
the  sheep  for  a  longer  loeriod !  Well,  there  is  the  rub! 
Sheep  are  more  important  now  than  Wheat,  and  farmers 
make  more  use  of  their  seeds. 
Seeds  are  now  very  frequently  kept  down  for  two  or 
three  years,  and  if  Wheat  is  to  follow  them  with  any  chance 
of  success  it  is  imperative  that  the  land  be  broken  up  with 
a  cultivator  before  harvest,  and  the  sod  be  well  broken  up. 
After  harvest  another  cultivation,  followed  immediately  by 
a  thorough  ploughing,  will  give  the  Wheat  as  good  a  chance 
as  'otherwise  it  might  have  a  poor  one. 
Two  and  three  year  old  seeds  are  invariably  infested  with 
wireworm,  for  there  have  been  so  many  opportunities  for 
the  insect  to  deposit  its  eggs  ;  but  long,  overgrown  young 
seed  loastures  are  often  equally  as  bad  and  need  the  same 
treatment.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  early  break¬ 
ing  up  of  seeds  does  not  necessarily  destroy  the  wireworm, 
but  there  is  no  doubt  that  it  very  greatly  checks  its  activity 
and  minimises  its  power  for  harm.  Therefore,  if  we  can 
spare  our  seeds  and  wish  to  have  a  full  crop  of  Wheat  w'e 
had  better  put  in  the  plough  or  cultivator  at  once.  For 
one-year  seeds  ploughing  should  be  sufficient,  for  even 
if  the  herbage  be  rather  tall  it  can  be  well  buried  in  the 
furrow  if  a  skim  coulter  be  used  effectively.  For  two  or 
more  year  old  seeds  we  strongly  recommend  the  use  of  the 
cultivator,  for  there  are  other  enemies  to  be  found  there  as 
well  as  wirew'orms.  Few  jDieces  of  old  seeds  are  there  which 
have  not  accumulated  a  certain,  and  too  often  an  inconve¬ 
nient  amount  of  twitch,  and  it  is  highly  desirable  if  Wheat 
is  the  intended  crop  that  this  twdtch  should  have  a  good 
deal  of  the  life  knocked  out  of  it  before  the  Wheat  is  sown. 
If  the  twitch  be  not  scotched  an  attack  of  wireworm,  thin¬ 
ning  the  Wheat  plant,  will  give  the  twitch  an  opportunity 
which  it  is  always  ready  to  take,  and  when  hoeing  time 
comes  the  plough  and  not  the  hoe  may  be  the  implement 
needed. 
If  manure  be  plentiful  and  the  Wheat  crop  considered 
important  enough  to  have  a  dressing,  it  must  be  ploughed 
in  with  seeds,  but  on  the  majority  of  farms  where  the  Wheat 
is  still  considered  worthy  of  manuring,  the  fertiliser  is 
applied  early  in  the  previous  spi’ing  so  as  to  benefit  the 
pastiu’age  as  well  as  the  following  white  crop.  Of  course, 
if  this  has  been  done,  another  dressing  now  would  be  sheer 
extravagance.  If  manure  be  spread  on  just  before  the 
plough  it  must  be  very  well  shaken  out  or  broken  up,  or  the 
difficulty  of  making  a  clean  and  thorough  job  will  be  materi¬ 
ally  increased,  especially  if  the  herbage  be  rank.  The  old 
type  of  plough  is  the  best  for  ploughing  lea,  and  on  no 
account  must  the  American  chilled  ploughs  or  diggers  be 
used — they  leave  the  land  much  too  corky  and  light.  If  we 
do  not  plough  with  the  old  joloughs  we  had  better  use  the 
cultivator  and  break  up  the  surface,  thoroughly  leaving  the 
disintegrated  sod  and  twitch  to  the  influence  of  sun  and 
wind  until  the  approach  of  seed  time  makes  ploughing 
necessary. 
Early  ploughing  not  only  gives  the  turf  time  to  decay, 
but  also  gives  the  land  a  chance  to  attain  that  solidity 
which  is  so  necessary  to  the  formation  of  good  and  numerous 
roots.  When  lea  is  ploughed  soon  after  midsummer  it  is 
not  imperative  to  use  the  press  or  Cambridge  rolls,  as  is  the 
case  when  w'e  are  approaching  Michaelmas ;  but  it  is 
advisable,  nevertheless,  and  at  this  season  we  never  have 
to  wait  long  for  an  opportunity. 
There  is  another  reason  for  early  ploughing  this  season 
in  addition  to  the  fact  that  we  can  spare  the  pasturage. 
The  land  is  now  in  a  moist  condition  for  the  time  of  year, 
and  the  ploughing  could  be  well  and  easily  done.  With  a 
dry  August  ploughing  might  be  difficult  or  impossible  in 
Seiotember.  There  is  another  point,  viz.,  the  depth  we 
should  plough.  Not  less  than  5in  we  think.  Land  with  less 
than  5in  of  soil  is  not  suitable  for  Wheat. 
Work  on  the  Home  Farm. 
Barley  is  beginning  to  assume  a  tinge  of  gold,  in  fact  we  saw 
a  field  of  winter  Barley  yesterday  looking  quite  yellow.  This 
makes  farmers  prepare  for  harvest,  and  we  notice  many  reapers 
passing  to  the  machine  works,  which  we  are  fortunate  to  have 
close  at  hand.  The  proprietor  of  these  works  keeps  a  number  of 
binders  which  he  lets  for  hire.  After  harvest  he  has  them  all 
repaired,  cleaned,  and  jiacked  away,  and  he  tides  hard  to  induce 
farmers  of  the  neighbourhood  to  do  the  same;  but  they  prefer  to 
keep  them  dirty  and  out  of  repair  until  the  corn  is  nearly  ripe, 
and  then  grumble  when  they  cannot  have  the  repairs  done  at  a 
moment’s  notice.  Such  is  human  nature ! 
The  week  has  been  fine  with  a  few  heavy  showers  which  have 
hindered  belated  haymakers,  but  have  been  grand  for  the  roots. 
Turnip  hoeing  and  cleaning  is  still  the  chief  item  of  work,  and 
such  progress  is  being  made  as  justifies  us  in  the  expectation  that 
the  Corn  harvest  will  not  find  us  unprepared  for  it.  Certainly 
Turnip  hoeing  will  be  finished. 
We  hear  of  a  commencement  to  market  second  early  Potatoes, 
but  the  attempt  was  not  encouraging.  The  tubers  are  small,  and 
the  weiglit  per  acre  quite  inadequate  to  give  a  paying  return. 
We  see  traction  engines  drawing  small  trains  of  road  material 
into  every  parish.  At  one  time  tlie  farmers  did  this  work.  Now 
the  tenders  asked  for  by  the  rural  councils  are  all  offered  and 
filled  by  steam  traction  contractors.  Horse  power  cannot  com¬ 
pete  with  them,  and  the  farmers  have  to  pay  instead  of  receiving  ; 
but  the  poor  horses  get  a  well  earned  rest  at  a  tiino  wlien  they 
used  to  be  carting  heavy  loads  of  stone,  so  the  loss  is  not  a  clear 
one. 
Wool  is  up  again,  and  we  hear  of  17s.  per  tod  being  given. 
TTiere  is  a  great  deal  yet  in  farmers’  hands,  and  we  are  glad  they 
have  succeeded  in  holding  to  good  purpose. 
There  are  many  more  store  pigs  offering  than  there  has  been 
for  a  long  time,  and  we  are  evidently  to  have  lower  prices  for  a 
time.  If,  as  seems  likely,  we  have  a  scarcity  of  Potatoes  and 
dearer  Corn,  there  must  be  a  slump  in  the  pig  trade. 
Sheep  are  very  healthy.  We  have  weaned  our  lambs,  and 
have  them  on  the  old  pastures,  whicli  are  full  of  good  sound  meat. 
We  let  the  lambs  liave  as  much  medicated  lamb  food  as  they  will 
eat,  which  is  nearly  fib  per  head  per  day. 
