Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 1.djvu/382

Rh 350 AGRICULTURE [GRAIN CROPS. the former by more than the quantity of seed saved, with less expense in culture, less risk from accidents and disease, an earlier harvest, and a better quality of grain. Such a crowding of the ground with plants as prevents the proper development of the ear is of course to be avoided ; but the most experienced growers of wheat are convinced of the benefit of having the ground fully occupied at the time when active spring growth begins. This is secured by using two bushels per acre for the sowing made early in October, and by increasing this quantity at the rate of half a peck per week until three bushels is reached, which may be held as the maximum. Less than this should not be used from the middle of November to the end of the season. These are the quantities to be used in broad-cast sowing ; when drilling or dibbling is resorted to, two-fifths less seed will suffice. In Scotland, at least, often repeated trials have shown that larger crops are obtained by broad casting than by drilling. The latter mode is, however, to be preferred wherever the land is infested by annual weeds, which can then be got rid of by hoeing. When clover and grass-seeds are sown with the grain crop, it is believed also that they thrive better from the grain being sown in rows, probably because in this case light and air are less excluded from them. It is believed also that in highly-manured soils of a loose texture, grain deposited somewhat deeply in rows is less liable to lodge than when sown broad-cast and shallower. When drilling and hoeing are resorted to, the latter is effected most cheaply and effectively by using Garret s horse-hoe. The mere stirring of the soil is con sidered by many farmers to be so beneficial to the wheat crop that they use the horse-hoe irrespective of the presence of weeds. Others are of opinion that, apart from the destruction of weeds, hoeing is injurious to grain crops, alleging that the cutting of their surface roots weakens the stems and increases their liability to fall over. Carefully conducted experiments are required to settle this point. We have no personal experience bearing upon it beyond this, that we have repeatedly seen a wheat crop much benefited by mere harrowing in spring. It is always use ful to roll wheat, and indeed all cereal crops, in order to facilitate the reaping process, although no other benefit should result from it. When the plants have been loosened by severe frosts, or are suffering from the attacks of the wire-worm, the use of CrosskuTs roller is usually of great benefit to the crop. A plan of growing wheat year after year on the same field without the use of manure was practised for a mirnber of years by the late Rev. Mr Smith of Lois Weedon, North amptonshire, and detailed by him in the pages of the Royal Agricultural Society s Journal, and in a pamphlet which has passed through many editions and had a very extensive circulation. His plan is to a certain extent a revival of that of Jethro Tull, but with this important difference, that whereas Tull occupied his ground with alternate double rows of wheat a foot apart, and vacant spaces, five feet wide, which were carefully cultivated by ploughings and horse-hoeings repeated at intervals from the springing of the wheat until midsummer, Mr Smith intro duced two important elements in addition, viz., thorough draining, and trenching the vacant spaces in autumn, so as to bring portions of subsoil to the surface. A field treated on this system consists of alternate strips of wheat and bare fallow, which are made to exchange places year by year, so that each successive crop occupies a different site from its immediate predecessor. It has also the benefit of the fresh soil brought up by the previous autumn s double- digging, which is subsequently mellowed and pulverised by lengthened exposure to the atmosphere, and by frequent stirrings. The produce obtained by Mr Smith from his acre thus treated was very nearly 34 bushels each year for the first five years ; but as his crops steadily improved, his average at the end of fourteen years was fully 3G bushels. Writing in July 18G1, he said, &quot;The growing crop for 1861, notwithstanding the frost, looks strong and well, with scarcely a gap. Thus year after year gives growing confidence in the scheme.&quot; On steam-power being intro duced, Mr Smith became convinced of the practicability of carrying out his system with advantage on an entire farm. At first he restricted himself to the employment of manual labour, but he subsequently invented a set of implements for sowing, covering in, rolling, and hoeing his crops by horse labour. We give in his own words his directions for carrying out this system, what he believed to be the advantages of it, and the cost of thus cultivating an acre : &quot; I suppose, at the outset, the land intended for wheat to be wheat land ; having besides a fair depth of staple, and a subsoil, as will generally, though not universally be the case, of the same chemical composition with the surface. I suppose it dry, or drained three feet deep at least; well cleaned of weeds ; the lands cast ; acd the whole tolerably level. &quot;1. First of all, then, plough the whole land, when dry, one inch deeper than the used staple. If it turn up cloddy, bring the clods down with the roller or the crusher. Let this be done, if possible, in August. Harrow deep, so as to get five or six inches of loose mould to admit the presser. Before sowing wait for rain. After the rain wait for a fine day or two to dry the surface. With this early commencement a week or two is of no material import ance compared with that of ploughing dry and sowing wet. &quot;As early as possible, however, in September, get in your seed with the presser-drill, or with some implement which forms a firm- bedded channel in which to deposit the seed, grain by grain, a few inches apart. Cover over with the crusher or rough roller. &quot; 2. When the lines of wheat appear above ground, guard against the rook, the lark, and the slug a trite suggestion, but ever needful, especially here. And now, and at spring, and all through summer, watch for the weeds, and wage constant warfare against them. The battle may last for a year or two, or in some foul cases even more ; but, in the end, the mastery, and its fruits, without fail, will be yours. &quot; 3. The plant being now distinctly visible, dig the intervals two spits deep, increasing the depth, year after year, till they come to twenty or twenty-four inches. Bring up at first only four, or five, or six inches, according to the nature of the subsoil, whether tena cious, or loamy, or light. To bring up more at the outset would be a wasteful and injurious expense. &quot; The digging is done thus : Before proceeding with the work, a few cuts are made within three inches of the wheat, the back of the spade being towards the rows. A few double spits, first of all, at the required depth, are then thrown out on the headland, and there left for the present. After this, as the digging proceeds, the staple is cast to the bottom, and the subsoil thrown gently on the top. This process is carried on throughout the whole interval ; at the end of which interval, just so much space is left vacant as was occupied by the soil thrown out at the beginning of it. In commencing the second interval at that finished end, the eitrth is thrown out as at first, not on the headland, however, but into the vacant space of the first interval. And so on all over the acre. &quot; 4. Late in winter, and early in spring, watch your opportunity, in dry weather, before the roots of the plant are laid bare, to press them with the crusher. &quot;5. In the spring and early summer stir the spaces between the rows as often as the surface becomes crusted over ; and move the settled intervals four or five inches deep with the common scarifier, set first of all about twenty-eight inches wide, reducing the width till it come by degrees to twenty-four and eighteen inches. Continue the process, if possible, at the last-named width, up to the time of flowering in June. &quot; These operations are indispensable to full success, and happily can be carried on at little cost ; for, while the intervals of each acre can be scarified in fifty minutes, the horse-hoe implement, covering two lands at once, can stir between the rows in twenty-five. &quot; 6. Immediately the crop is carried, clean the intervals, and move them with the scarifier in order to sow, without delay, the shed grains. When these vegetate and come up into plant, move the intervals again five or six inches deep, and so destroy them. After that, level with the harrow implement, and the land is ready for the drill. &quot;If anything occur to prevent the sowing early in September, and to drive you to the end of October, set the drill for a thicker crop. But, if possible, sow early for this reason. Tillered wheat has a bad name. But that has reference only to wheat which has tillered late in the spring. And certainly, in that case, there is the fear of danger to the crop, and danger to the sample. For