Observations on the sowing of spring wheat and on the cultivation of the globe turnip, published by order of the Dublin Society

speciAL
coLLecrioNS

OouqLas
LibRAuy

AT kiNGSTION

kiNQSTON ONTARIO CANADA

OBSERVATIONS

ON THE

SOWING OF SPRING WHEAT,

AND ON THE

CULTIVATION

OF

THE GLOBE TURNIP.

PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF

THE DUBLIN SOCIETY.

> •<Ba»(»l-a£S^y^S5>-f(jSeo<i

DUBLIN:

PRINTED BY GRAISBERRY AND CAMPBELL, 10, BACK-LANE,

yRlNTSRS TO THf: SOCIETY.

1806'.

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Hi. \^

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REPORT of SPRING WHEAT, sozvn in 1805, as returned to THE DUBLIN SOCIETY, in February, 1805.

COUNTIES.

CAR LOW, .
C.W'AN, .

COKK, . .

DI'.URY, .
DONKGAL,

DOMX, . .

DUULIN, .

KILUARE, .

KILKF.NNY,

LONCIORl),
LOUTH, .

MAYO, . .

MEATU,

MONAGHAN,
QUEENS, .

ril'l'EUAUY,
I Wl^STMF.All

WEXFORD,

NAME'^

Nx\TURE OF THE SOIL.

^1 Denis Ilanlon,

Williiiiii Cliecveis, . • •
Tliomas Wilsoii. Es(|. ;XI. D.

Rc\cieiul Maitiii .Vimstiong,

WICKLOW,

Ricliavd Ross, . .
Rubcit Piic, Esq. .
Jolm Nicholson, Esq.
Rcseiend Chailes W. Moov
William Poole, Esq.
.lames Smith, ....
Richard Evans, Esc|. .
Edward Buiroiighs, Esc)
Countess Dowag-er of Oimo
William Newcomcn, Esq,
(ieiald Billew, Esq. .
Marquis of Sligo, . .
Cicoigc Ilustan, Esc). .
PatiieU Kiiby, . . .
Roger Gorniiy, . . .
William Knight, Esc). .

.lolui Tunny

Patiiek Paden, . . .
Henry Warner, Esq.
John Reade, Es(i. . .
Laurence Flood, . . .
Cicorge KiUin, . . .
James M'ilkinson, Esq. .

Isaac 1 Ionian, Esq. . .

Ralph Senior, ■ . ,

Richard AVriglit, . . ,

Catherine Magan, .

C:llar\cs Kelly, Esc|. .

Cliailes Dujiic, £.-.t|.

Thomas Miirpliy,

Jeremiah .Stc|)liens, .

.lohn Warren, . . .

J. Byrne, ....

Patrick Keegan, . .

James Furlong, .

Jolm .Mitton, . . .

Nicholas Suninicis,

William Learv, . .

Judith Mann'on, . .

Michael Synnot, . .

I'.dward Cullcn, . .

ICaton ('otlcr, Kn(|. .

John Pi ice, Emi.

James Edwards,
Thomas Tincbl,

Potatoe, . . .
Limestone; potatoe.

Potatoe,

Part potatoe land ; light diy soil, ,

Part potatoe; loam and light grayel.
Partly ])otatoe, . . .
Potatoe; clay soil, . .
CJravclly loam, . . .
Not specilied, ....

Potatoe,

Potatoe,

Ley ground prcpaied tor potatoes.
Turnip ground, . . .

Potatoe,

Fallow ground; dry gravelly loam
Not specified, ....
Potatoe and fallow, . .

Potatoe,

Fallow,

Potatoe,

Fallow,

Potatoe,

Deep loam,

Strong clay, ....
Dry limestone ; poor land,

Potatoe

Prepared fen' oats, . .
Rich deep peat ; potatoe,

Potatoe,

Limestone; potatoe, . .
Wheat stubble, . .

]-'iillo\r; ligJrt-dnv-iroif, . .

Potatoe

Potatoe, highly manured, .

Half pi>tatoe and half fallow

Potatoe, . .

Ditto, .

Diif., ■ ■ ■

Ditt..:

Ditto, ■■••■■

Ditto. . ' ' '
Ditto.

Ditto,

Heavy damp soil; secon<l cru|
I'olatoe, marled, . . . .
Part had been under potatoes,
and part fallow, . .

i2 acres potatoe, deep heavy soil,

TIME OF SOWING. SPECIES of wheat, no. of acres

March,

Blarch and April,
April, . . . .

April,

March

February and March,

March,

February and March,
Not specified,

March,

April. .....

March,

April,

February and April,
February and March,
February, ....

April,

January and February,
January and February,

February

January and February,
January and February,

March,

February and March,

March,

April,

March, . . . . ■

April,

April,

March,

April,

April,

lUaieh ,iml Apul, .

February

Maicli, ....

April,

March

February, ....
Fcl)iuary, ....
February, ....
February, ....
March, ....
February, ....
February, . . .
February, . . .
-March an< April,
February, . . .

March, ,. .
Maicli an April,

Red, . , .
Red, . . .
Part red lammas,^
and part French^
bearded, . . ]
Part red lammas ; audi
part blue-coned wheal, '
in England called IfiiTV,^
Red, ....

Red, .,'.'.
White, . . .
Not specitietl, .
Red, ....
Red lammas,
Red, ....
Not specified, .
Ditto, . . .
Red lammas.
Not specified, .
Ditto, . \ .

Red

Not s])ceified, .
Red English, .
Not speeilieil, .
Red English, .
Red, ....
Not specified, .
Red, ....
Ditto, . . .
Red lammas, ,
Ditto, . . .
Ditto, . . .
Ditto, . . .
Ditto, , . .

.*Jot speeilieil.

Red

White, . . .
Not specified, .
Red, ....
Ditto, . . .
Ditto, . . .
Ditto, . . .
Ditto, . . .
Ditto, . . .
Ditto, . . .
Ditto, . . .
Ditto, ...
Red and white,
Red, ....

Patagonian Picd,
White, . . .

PRODUCE PER ACRE.

Not 3 barrels; bad grain.
Near 7 barrels.

Gj barrels good; and I5 inrerior.

I : 16 Pro\ed bad.

alf.

in all.

In all 12 barrels and a lialf.

About 7 barrels.

40 cwt. in all.

7 ban-els.

Near 10 barrels.

.9 barrels, 15 stone.

About 10 barrels.

Not 4 barrels.

Not .specified.

I'^br-iary sowing, about 8 barrels; April do. 3j do.

o5 larrcis in all.

A good crop.

Neat 4 barrels.

3 to), 6 cwt. 'Jl lbs. in all.

I tm, 12 cwt. in all.

1 toi, 6 cwt.
13 cwt. and a half.

2 toi, 8 cwt. in all.
Estinated at 4 barrels.
Aboiit 4 barrels.
About 5 barrels.
'25 cvt. 3 qrs. and 12 lb.
About ;! barrels and a h
A bad crop.
A bad crop.
1 IJ stone, in all.
Not specified.
6' barrels.
7 barrels. '
Not specilied.
() barrels, 14 stone, 0 lb,
Potatof.', 0' barrels, 5 stone ; fallow. 1 barrel, in all.|
5 barrels.

.•; barrels.

6' barrels.

6' barrels,

4 bairels, 6 stone.

In all 7 barrels, good; II do. mildewed.

3 barrels, IG stone.
9 barrels, 4 stone.

.5 barrels and a half

,S barrels of red, and 9 barrels of white, to the acre.

Near 14 barrels.

( From potatoes and turnips best; on an a\-crage, 1
> 12 barrels per acre.

(Produce, on potatoe ground, 12 barrels; leniams, |
I on an average, 3 barrels.

in all.

i

A LETTER

FndM THS

RIGHT HONOURABLE

:rHE 3TARiiUIS OF SLIGO.

JVest]>ort House, October
9 lit, 16Q5.
.SIR,

THE Dublin Society having expres-
sed a wish, (with their offer of a premium
for the cultivation of spring wlicat in Ire-
land, ) for any information, that could be ob-
tained on that important subject, of so much
public interest, I beg leave to transmit to
them, through you, the result of some expe-
riments, which I have made upon it in three
years of successive practice.

I believe I was one of the first persons
in Ireland, that ventured on the experiment
of sowing wheat in spring. The practice is
still new with us, and I am very much
mistaken if it be well understood in Great
Britain, though I know it has been followed
s there

d ON SPRING "U'HEAT.

there? for years, especially on the borders
of Leicestershire, Derbyshire, and Nottinjr-
hamshire. The universally received opinion
of there being more husk and bran in
spring wheat than in that, which is sown
in autumn, I am inclined to think is un-
true altogether. It is positively contradict-
ed by every experiment that I have made
of it; and if it has any foundation, 'tis that
the kind of wheat, usually called spring
wheat, is of an inferior quality, and may
have given rise to an opinion, for which T
can trace no other grounds. ^

Having so disposed of one of the most
weighty objections, that I have heard offered
to the sowing of wheat in spring, I proceed
to state the further result of my own ex-
perience on this subject, and I shall take the
liberty of forwarding with my report samples
of the grain, on which I have formed my
opinion, with the best explanation I can
give of the quantity and quality of the pro-
duce, and of every circumstance connected
with it.

By some accident, (I believe the extent
of. my other works,) I was prevented in the
year 1SQ2 frojn an early preparation of my
wheat fallow. The ground was not ploughed
to my liking,., when the frost set in, and I or-
dered it in . consequence to be ploughed again

and

ON SPniNG iVHEAT. 5

and again, and to be sown in the earliest
part of the spring witli the seed, which I
had procured for sowing in November, and
which was the common red Lammas of a
good quaHty. The seed was sown in March,
and produced a fine crop of wheat, perhaps
a week later ripe than it might have been,
had it been sown in autumn, but certainly
not more. In the exposed situation, in which
I live, the crops of wheat on our high lands,
being open to the storms from the Atlantic,
often fail, as the people here say, from the
shoots being broken by the violence of the
winds. It became therefore an object with
me to follow up the experiment of sowing
wheat, after those storms were over. I
therefore directed another spring sowing in
the spring of 1804 from the produce of
this last crop, and I never saw a finer
field of wheat. For a further investigation
of the subject, in November 1804', I limed
a hill, which was considered a fair soil for
wheat, and I sowed about ten acres of it,
in the month of November, with seed from
the wheat, w'liich had been sown in the
preceding spring; and about one acre of the
same soil, in the same field, I sowed also in
November^ with seed sold to me as spring
wheat. The produce of both was very good,
any difference fully to be accounted for by
» 2. a dlff<?rei\c©=

4 ON SPRING WHEAT.

a difference in the situation and the soil.
The best of this spring wheat, sowed in
winter, being threshed, produced twenty-
nine pounds of wheat, which being ground
produced twenty-three pounds of flour and
six of bran. See samples marked 1 and 1.

Following up the same line of trials, some
choice ground of mine was well ploughed.
During the last winter it contained ten
acres, and it was sown partly with my own
former seed, and in part with one sack of
the same spring wheat that had been sown
in November; the grain put in the ground
between the twentieth of P'ebruary and the
first of March. The crop was by far the
most abundant I ever saw, and differed little
in its quality; it was reaped between the sixth
and the thirteenth of September as it became
ripe, and was about one week later cut than
that, which had been sown in the preceding
November. One bart of It threshed pro-
duced twenty-nine pounds of wheat, which,
when ground, produced twenty-seven pounds
and a half of flour, and two pounds and a half
of bran; not half the quantity of bran, which
another bart of the same weight of v/heat-
had produced, w^hen scmoi in winter.

Having procured some seed of the wheat,
called Jerusalem w^heat, about one acre of
the same field was at the same time, about
the end of February, sown with it. The

crop

ON SPRING WHEAT. 5

crop exceeded any thing ever seen in these
parts; the straw longer; the grain far heavier
and more abundant; and, what is particu-
larly worthy of observation, not ojie ear of
it, though the whole was scorched through,
could be found that had received blight,
though the other wheat, sown in ridges on
both sides of the Jerusalem wheat, had been
blighted most materially, and part of every
ridge, save the Jerusalem wheat, was smutty.
The bart of Jerusalem wheat, when threshed,
weighed forty-one pounds, of which thirty-
eight was flour, and three pounds only of
bran. Samples marked 3, 5. — Having pro-
cured from Mr. Crips, who travelled through
Egypt with Dr. Clarke, some grains of the
wheat growTi in Upper and in Lower Egypt,
I sowed them in my garden, one kind of
which was bearded, and appeared to me to
be the s^me kind of grain as that called
Jerusalem wheat, and the other not bearded ;
I had not enough for a sufficient experi-
ment, but both were free from smut, and
very fitie grain. See samples marked 4 and
5. — They were sown in the last spring, and
I have just now sown an acre of it, 'to see
whether it may be still better by cultivating
as a winter grain.

To conclude, I am of opinion that the
sowing of wheat in spring is less subject

to

0 ON SPRING WHEAT.

to casualties, than when it is sown in au-
tumn; that it j)roduces as large a crop, as
full and as clean a grain, and, at least, as
great a proportion of flour, as it would do
if sown in autumn ; and that what is called
"winter wheat is just as fit for spring sow-
ing as any other wheat; and that the best
crop will be produced from the best grain,
whether it be a winter wheat sown in spring,
or a spring wheat sown in winter; and I am
inclined to think, though I cannot yet speak
positively ^ that the Jerusalem bearded wheat
is the best wheat, that has ever been in-
troduced into Ireland A comparison of
Jso. 5 with No. 3, will shew, that that
grain has not deteriorated in this climate,
the former being the growth of seed im-
Hiediatejy brought from Egypt.

I am, Sir,
Your very obedient Servant,

SLIGO.

Itet. Dr. Li^stcr,
Stcretarif to the Dublin Society.

jp. S. I send also one stock of the beard-
ed wheat in ears, and also one stalk of
the unbearded, which last is from Lower
Egypt, and appears to me to be a fme
grain.

The

ON SPRING ^niEAT. 7

The Jerusalem wheat had lodged, which
has shriveled the grain of it a little; both
were sown here last spring, and I ha\'e
some of the seed of both in ground now, to
make a trial of tlieni as a winter crop.

'-:Li?

A LETTER

ON SPRING WHEAT.

A LETTER

*FOM TH!

REV. CHARLES IV3L 3W0RE

SIB,

INCLOSED you will receive my
claiili for one of the premiums otfcred by
your Hon. Society, for the culture of spring
wheat; and, for the information of your Hon.
Society, I beg leave to communicate my ex-
periments and observation^ on it, during
the year 1805.

There were four pieces of ground under
that crop.

No. 1. Two acres of good fertile gravelly
loam, which was sown with winter tares, in
October 1803; the produce mowed in June,
for soiling, not very luxuriant. It was then
left for seed, and gave a middling crop in
September. Early in December, 1804, the
ground was ploughed deep, and having some

quick

ON SPfllNG, WHKAT. 9

quick grass in it, was left rough For the
winter. In the beginning of February
1805 it was harrowed with the brake, cross
harrowed in a few days, and the quick grass
partially extirpated by a rake for that pur-
pose. About the 10th of the month sown
with four bushels per acre of white wheat,
the pioduce of a species which was brought
to mie from. Soutli Devon, and much recom*
nie^nded. The crop was thin, prodiicing on
a,n average not more tlian seven barrels per
acre; the grain full and good.

No. 2. Immediately adjoining, were three
acres of similar land, sown with spring tares
(broadcast, as were the tares on No. 1.) in
1 804 ; the crop very good, and all saved for
seed. The ground was ploughed soon after
and found clean : sown witli same wheat,
three bushels per acre, about the 1 8th of
February 180;5; thg crop rather thin, but
well headed ; averaged eleven barrels per
^cre. It is believed that the immense flights
of wood pigeons, wjiicli frecjuent my grounds,
were the cause of , these two crops being-
thin, as a grove joins the field.

No. 3. One acre and an half on the side
of a steep hill, facing the east; the soil
somewhat mojst, inclining to clay* This had
been in a very rough state, and so many
rocks in it, th^t it had been necessarily

woiked

10 OS SPRING WHEAT.

worked with the pick-axe; it was well ma-
nured and planted with potatoes by hand, in
April 1804. When the potatoes were dug
out, it was ridged up with the plough for
winter; about the 1st of March harrowed,
lightly stirred with the piough, and sown
with the same wheat, three bushels per acre.
The crop proved uncommonly fine, and the
size of the ear remarkable, as Mr. Hamilton,
Secretary to the Farming Society, can tes-
tify, he having got a sample ; produce alx>ut
twelve and an half barrels per acre.

Note, This calculation is made from count*
ing the stocks and threshing one. The re-
mainder is yet on the hovel, and reserved
by me for my seed this year.

No. 4. Two and an half acres of land,
similar to No. 3, and immediately adjoin-
ing; in iSO^, had produced a large crop
of drill potatoes, well manured. This ground
was sown with Dantzic white wheat, and
finished the ISth of March. (This seed
proved to be mixed, producing both red
and bearded ears). It looked poorly in
May. In the beginning of June, No'. 3 and
4 WTre sown with rye-grass and clover,
bush harrov/ed and heavily rolled. From
the time of this rolling, both crops improved
daily. Seeing the good effect, I rolled No^
1 and 2, though then up tp the horses

knees :

ON SPRING? WHEAT. 11

knees; this improved their appearance very
much; but No. 4 continued growing, tilj
it acquired a greater length than any crop
I ever saw, not a stalk in it being less than
six feet, and some much taller. The ears,
however, were not so long as in the adjoin-
ing lot, nor were they quite so well filled.-—
Produce between ten and eleven barrels per
acrci

iie:\iarks.

About the 15 th of September, when
we were busy with harvest, I saw No^ 3
and 4. They looked extremely well, and
ivere ripening fast; three successive days of
rain and of very high wind (which did great
injury to this country) followed. During
this period, being much of an invalid, I did
not stir out, but, on the weather taking up
about the ;21st, as well as I remember, .was
greatly surprised to see my wheat still quite
black, and, on examining, found it com-
pletely mildewed, all except a little skirt at
the bottom. I obeyed Mr. Young's directions,
and reaped the week following, though, had
it not been for the above accident, it should
have stood ten days longer. No^ 1 and

2 escaped.

a

ON SPRING WHEAT.

2 escaped, being fully ripe. If a person,
who lias no great skill in Natural history,
dare to differ m opinion from Sir Joseph
Banks, I would do so. He supposes " mildew
" to be 'a vegetable fungus, carried by the
" air, which becomes a parasitical plant." I
am at present of a quite different opinion,
and think, that it arises from the vegetable
juices being arrested in their circulation by
cold, at which time they burst their vessels,
and ooze through the outer skin. The fluid
part of the sap, in this state, is soon eva-
porated, and leaves a black powder be-
hind, This may be called fungus; so I be-
lieve is the lump of black sometimes formecl
at the top of the wick of a tallow candle,
but I do not imagine either are any how re-
lated to the mushroom.

My opinion is much confirmed b}' exa-
niining the straw with a powerful micro-
scope. If it was dust carried by the air,.
\vhy does not the powder sometimes adhere
in a transverse direction? But this is never
found. With the assistance of the glass,
I can trace the discoloured sap, one or more
inches down the stem, before the vessel con-'
taining it is actually broke. By my theory
t»Q;r,Ji can account for partial mildew, an
occurrence which every farmer must fre-
quently have observed. Patches of a rood

or

ox SPRING WHEAT, 13

or an acre will appear quite black and the
straw become rotten, while the rest of tlie»
field is in perfect health. If the groutnl be,
examined in these places, aquatic plants and
other marks of moisture will be discovered.
Here the evening fogs of a hot day will al-
ways connnencc. Now, if we suppose a
strong wind to arise, the evaporation from
the earth will be greater from these places,
than from any other. Evaporation, we
icnow, produces positive cold. In these -spots
of humid ground, the vessels of tlie plants
;Lre more distended than ordinary. A sudden
cold is generated, perhaps for a few minutes,
even to freezing; freezing produces ex-
pansion, and expansion an innnediate rup-
ture.

I have not yet seen any satisfactory ac-
count of the cause of smut, which, when
it occurs in wheat, depreciates it very much;
but, during the last four years, I have never
found one single ear of any of my crops af-
fected, which I attribute to washing the
seed in a solution of salt, strong enough
to bear an egg. Every grain that swims is
rejected, and skimmed otf; the remainder,
being well washed, is taken out, spread on
a floor, and dusted with quick-lime, and
sown as soon as possible.

Sucli,

14 OK SPRING "WHEAT.

Such, Gentlemen, is the substance of my
observations, and, should they seem of any
use, they are entirely at your service.

I have the honor to be.
Your very humble Servant,

CHARLES WM. MOOREo

Mount Panthery Clough.

Rev. Dr.. Lyster,
Secretary to the Dublin Socieiy.

A LETTER

o:?f SPRING WHEAT. 15

A LETTER

mtHARD EVANS, ESS.

Aiden Wood,
\Mh Januanj, J 806.
SIR,

I SEND you herewith a Surveyor's
certificate of mv having cultivated and
iovvcd, on the ^d of April 1805, at Arden
Wood, county of Kildare, two acres, one
rood, three perch, with wheat; and, in con-
formity to the desire oi^ the Dubhn Society,
I beg leave to report the particular circum-
stances.

' The soil was in 1803, a lea, overrun
with a thick growth of moss, and quite
hidebound, to correct which I planted
it with potatoes in the lazy bed mode; first
laying a reasonable quantity of w^ell pre-
pared compost, consisting chiefly of lime
and bog mould, the latter Qt' which con-
tained

1^ OS SPRING WIIEA'T.

tained a poiiii)ii of mailc of" an inferior
([uality; over this compost, I put a liglit
covering of fann-yard dung. The next year,
the beds being levelled, and the trenches
made where the center of the bed was the
year before, I planted a second crop; both
crops right good; the second rather exceed--
ing the fust. After digging out tlie se-
coml crop, ploughed tlie soil, which turned
up in great order, and it being tilled en-
tirely to my mind, and wishing to lay the
ground down, I, on the 2d of April 1S05,
sowed the whole with common red Lammas
wheat, the produce of my own land, twenty-
seven stone; I am persuaded seven stone
too much. This was sowed broadcast, the
ground being previously made quite level,
and then ploughed in with a seed plough;
afterwards harrowed very well, after\vards
sown with hay -seeds, six barrels to the acre.
The crop came up very slowly and in ail
appearance bad, and I feared the many broad
hints I got from my neighbours were not ill-
founded. Indeed (the sowing of spring wheat
being totally unknown in the country) some
of them were pleased to say it was on the
1st and not on the 2d of April I made my
sowing; however, in taking the veiy dry
season into c"onsideration, I was not with-
out

ON SPRING WHEAT. 17

out hopes of Still having a good crop, and
was very anxious for a change to moist
weather. This change, although it came
very late in i\ray, had a most wonderful ef-
fect in June, and in July I had as promising
a crop as any in the neighbourhood, and
much better than many. The second week
in September I leaped, and soon after drew
in and tlireshed about two barrels; tliis
month threshed the remainder; total, 21
barrels, 6 stone, 4 pounds; which, at SO^,
per barrel, is about £3Q.

I am so confident that sowing sprmg
wheat is of great utility, that I mean this
spring to sow four acres, with a proporti-
onable less quantity of seed, on land pre-
pared in the same manner, with this dif-
ference, that the second crop of pota-
toes was planted in drills, three feet dis-
tant.

I conceive it very much serves the potatoe
ground, to get a winter's fallow in addition
to the potatoe culture; and I am sure the
quantity of seed to be sown in spring need
not be half as much as when sown in au-
tumn; that the soil is much, better tilled, and
the length of the days lessens the ex-
pence of labour; that it is a disadvan-
tage to sow hay-seeds in April rather
than in winter, during which they must

consequently
c

18 0\ SPRING -W-HEAT.

consequently receive much injury. My
crop of grass is now the most promising
I have seen.

I have the honor to be, Sir,

Your most obliged humble Servant,

RICHARD EVANS.

Rev. Dr. Lyster,
Secretary to the Dublin Society,

A LETTER

ON SPRING WHEAT. 19

A LETTER

ED WA RD BURRO UGHS, ESQ.

DUBLIN SOCIETY.

GENTLEMEN",

I DID not read your advertise-
jnent, tilLthe beginning of March last, for
the encouragement of sowing wheat in
spring; however, as I wished to make an
experiment on so useful a crop, I was re-
solved to make as fair a trial as the nature
of my soil would admit of.

Having upwards of three acres broken
up from the lea, in November 1804, the
half of which was well maimred with lime
and dung' for a potatde crop, the other
half sown with oats the spring following,
and limed with 120 barrels per acre, shortly^
after the crop was taken off, and was left
fallow till the middle of March follo\\'ing,
when it was second ploughed, well har-
rowed,
c 2

20 ON SPRING WHEAT.

rowed, and sown broadcast, with four-
teen stone red Lammas wheat per acre, co-
vered well with the plough and lightly
harrowed, for the purpose of laying down.
The potatoe ground was treated in like
manner, except half an acre, which I
seeded more than the rest, and one quarter
sown in ridges.

The potatoe ground, or west lawn, is a
clayey loam, and the fallow, or east side,
is a strong clay, with a light surface of
loam. The w^ell field about the same qua-
lity with the latter.

This field had been ploughed in October
1804, after a crop of wheat, which was
the first crop of corn it had given since it
was broken from the sward, at which
time it was well manured. I second
ploughed it the latter end of JMarch and
sowed it early in April, 1 rood 124 perch,
with 5-k stone white wheat Enghsh seed,
partly broadcast and partly in ridges. Im-
mediately adjoining this, I had an acre
and a half remarkable fine oats, and in the
remainder of the field winter vetches,
which produced very abundantly two crops.
This wheat turned out much more indif-
ferent than the red Lammas, producing
only half a barrel of very bad wheat, only
fit for pigs or fowls; the straw was

very

ON SPRING WHEAT. 21

very short ^nd iiiiklewed, • and tlie grain
shrivelled up.

The entire of the crops came up suffici-
ently thick and wore a pronnsing appear-
ance till June, when it gradually decHned.
Most of the young plants turned yellow,
and several of them totally failed, espe-
cially in tlie east side of the lawn. The
rains in summer again hrought forward
the crop, and the ear looked promising,
particularly on the west side, or potatoe
ground, which I was in hopes would have
produced a tolerable crop. However, I
was deceived ; for, although the plants
stood sufficiently thick on this side of the
field, there were not four barrels per acre,
and on the other side not two of indifte-
rent corn; the straw very short and mil-
dewed.

The soil was in veiy fine tilth when
sown, and had the benefit of a fort-
night's rain. This field is rather subject to
the red worm, which the potatoe crop had
greatly destroyed, and prepared the ground
better for wheat; however, this field has
been known to have produced upwards of
twenty barrels of barley and ten of wheat,
when not in as good heart as at the present.

I did not perceive any difierence in the
parts sown in ridges, which were equally

unproductive

22 ON SPRING WHEAT,

iinpiodiictive with the other parts, though
this ground the year before, without ma-
nure, had given a tolerable crop of oats.
I beg leave here to remark, that the grass-
seed grew remarkably well, where sown
with this crop, being much more luxuri-
ant than the adjoining field laid down
with oats. As I was not offered within
four shillings a barrel of the current price,
I sent five barrels and an half to the mill,
then in possession of a friend of mine,
lest I should be deceived in the produce,
which was as follow: — 8^ cwt. weak se-
conds; two stone, inditterent thirds; nearly
twenty stone of very bad bran.

Mr. Jackson, a neighbour of mine,
sowed an acre with English white wheat
the latter end of March, in a remark-
able good field, (a deep loam) well pre-
pared and ploughed in ridges, about six-
teen stone per acre. The crop very indif-
ferent in every respect, not three barrels
of corn produce. He sowed the remain-
der of the field with barley the second
week in May, which had the same culti-
vation and manure with the wheat. He
cut upwards of seventeen barrels per acre
of the field. His ground is not subject to
the red worm, notwithstanding many of
the wheat plants totally failed at the time

the

ON SPRING WHEAT. 23

the barley shewed a most promising ap-
pearance.

I have known wheat to be sown in some
counties of England in February, and even
early in March, in cold wet ground, when
too heavy to be tilled in autumn; but
those, who have been obliged to defer
sowing so long, acknowledge their pre-
ference of autumn sowing, though they
had sometimes tolerable crops, owing to
a very favourable season.

I certify the foregoing account is true,
which I shall verity by affidavit on my
return to the County of Kilkenny.

EDWARD BURROUGHS.

The above wheat sown in the County
of Kilkenny, barony of Gowran, parish
of Tullowhern, and townland of JBishops-r
lough.

Note. — The Society having offered pre-
miums for sozving spring wheat in 1806,
postpone their observations on the advan-
tages or disadvantages of this mode of hus-
bandry^ till they have received the reports
of 1806.

ON

ON THE GLOBE TURNIP.

THE Society having received several
letters addressed to their worthy Member,
Colonel Hardy, recommending the sow-
ing of Globe Turnips, think proper to
publish the three following for the infor-
mation of the public.

N. B. ITie seed may be had at Simpson's,
College-green.

No. I,

Prudhoe Castle, Norihutiiberlcnd,
25 th February, 180G.

SIR,

IN answer to your letter respect-
ing the superiority of the globe turnip to the
Norfolk, or even to any other kind which
lias yet been introduced into this neigh-
bourhood, allow me simply to state (with-
out attempting a theoretical description of
its superior qualities), that in this district,
where a great proportion of the soil is pe-
culiarly adapted to the cultivation of this

excellent

ON THE GLOBE TURNIP. ' 25

excellent root, and, I presume, some little
attention has been paid to the selection
and raising of seed from the most valuable
kinds, that, so far as the practice and ex-
perience of this neighbourhood may tend
to prove the utihty of any particular species,
the globe turnip, in preference to all others,
may be justly said to be the only kind
now cultivated in . T3'ne side for winter
fo6d, consequently stands highest in esti-
mation.

The bullock turnip and Swedish, or Ruta-
baga^ have been partially culti\'ated for
spring use latterly, aiid bid fair for more
general culture; as, with proper attention
being paid to the preservation of the Ruta-
baga when drawn from the ground, it may
be kept perfectly good until the latter end
of May or beginning of June, which is
of material consequence, considering the
scarcity of green food which often pre^
vails in our northern cUmate at that
season.

I am Sir,
Very respectfully Yours,

^yM. LAWS.

No. II*

26 ON THE GLOBE TURNIP.

No. n.

Clasions, near Gateshead,
Feb. 16, 1806.
SIR,

I HAVE sown the globe turnip
for some years, and give it the preference
to any I have yet tried; being of opinion,
it is the most nutritive, and from its shape
stands the winter well: it is a valuable
turnip to use early, being of quick growth,
and gets to a very large size w^ien sown
about the last week in May, or the first
week in June; those intended to be eaten
late I sow two or three weeks later.

JOHN KELL.

No. HI.

Bachworth, Durham,
Feb. 21, 1806.

SIR,

I HAVE cultivated the globe tur-
nip twelve years, and found it preferable to
any other sort that has come under my in-
spection; in its texture it -is firm and com-
pact ; its juices are nutritious and sweet to
the taste, making an excellent vegetable
for the table, and, from these qualities, im-
proving cattle amazingly; it shoots a small
close top, throwing off the wet and resisting

frost

ON THE GLOBE TURNIP. 2/

frost in preference to any of tlie flat sorts.
Since it has become generally known, no
other kind is cultivated in this district.

I remain Sir,

Most respectfully yours,

THOMAS BOURN.

I