grasses, at the most propitious season of the year, according to the high authority just quoted-while the stubble that is lightly turned in, is itself a manure for them, and keeps the soil open and light, in a proper state for the young seedlings.

Fallowing for a whole season is altogether too expensive a mode, to be adopted by those, who pay a high rent for their land, as paring and burning, and the drill system, or a sort of half fallow will answer the purpose equally well. From land in a very bad state infested with couch grass in 1832, by means of paring and burning, previous to taking a crop of potatoes, which produced thirty four thousand eight hundred pounds of saleable potatoes the acre, and with an after dressing of forty bushels to the acre, of kelp or sea weed ashes, I raised forty bushels of fine wheat to the acre. One season I raised fifty five, and last season fifty one bushels to the acre; this year I hope to have reaped as much with drill husbandry though on land in a very bad state, which had been much neglected.

These are not mere assertions without proof, as a reference to my corn and millers book, would furnish all the details.

It may be seen what a perch of ground might be made to produce, by multiplying the nineteen rows exhibited in the tables, by the produce of No. 8, Koeleri; which would give eighty pounds weight to the

perch, or ninety bushels to the acre. Now, extraordinary as this may appear, I have no doubt that land, in a perfect state of tilth, and with seed suited to the soil and climate, may hereafter be made to bear that quantity.

Herodotus mentions an encouraging fact, which should lead farmers to hope, not indeed to rival the produce of wheat in Egypt, but greatly to increase their own. In his Clio it is stated" of all countries which have come within my observation, this is far the most fruitful in corn. Fruit trees, such as the vine, the olive, and the fig, they do not even attempt to cultivate; but the soil is so particularly well adapted for Corn, that it never produces less than two hundred fold; in seasons which are remarkably favorable, it will sometimes rise to three hundred : the ear of their wheat as well as barley is four digits in size. The immense height to which Millet and Sesamum will grow, although I have witnessed it myself, I know not how to mention, I am well aware that they who have not visited this country will deem whatever I may say on the subject, a violation of probability."

This elegant and authentic historian, who flourished about four hundred and fifty years before the Christian era, speaks of wheat producing two or three hundred fold-it is true the soil and climate of Egypt, are both highly favourable to the growth of wheat,

but the produce is not extraordinary, if compared with the produce, from single ears of corn; as No. 7, which produced four pounds four ounces from fifty six grains, reckoning 9,000 grains to the pound, is a produce, between six and seven hundred, for one. Hence may not British culture be hereafter brought to equal Egyptian produce?

CHAPTER XVI.

RESULT.

By the evidence of Mr. Jacob, before the select committee on Agriculture, in 1833, whose authority is unquestionable, the average consumption of wheat, in the United Kingdom, may be about thirteen millions of quarters, and the average produce per acre, of England and Wales, is about twenty one bushels ; this for the sake of argument I assume to be that of the whole Kingdom, though it will somewhat overrate it for Ireland and Scotland; then, deducting the average importation of wheat, since the year 1828, or a million and a half of quarters, we have about four millions, four hundred thousand acres in wheat annually.

From the circumstance of some portion of the country producing less than that average, I will suppose the land under cultivation for wheat to be five millions of acres.

Now assuming the average price of wheat for the last five years, to have been fifty shillings the quarter, it will readily be conceded that any means that could enable the farmer to raise one quarter of wheat, nay half a quarter, more per acre, would not only be a

great individual advantage, but a very large increase of the national wealth; a nation is a great family, and whether it be merely a portion of the great family, a family of Rothschilds for instance, who are enriched by the intelligence, activity, and perseverance of one individual, or every individual who by the application of the same energies is enabled to increase his own income, it is still so much increase of the national wealth, augmented in the ratio of the number so actively employed.

It follows, if the mode I suggest, of raising wheat suited to each soil and climate, be adopted; it may reasonably be expected, in the course of three or four years, such is the amazing productiveness of wheat, that the country will be supplied with suitable seed; and it is a consideration to which I earnestly call the attention of the Chancellor of the Exchequer; an increase of one quarter per acre, may be made to take place; even more than this increase has occurred on my own farm, where three quarters per acre, was formerly the average, but has now gradually increased, in three years out of four, (one year's crop having been sacrificed to an experiment), from three or four, to six quarters per acre. Hence assuming the increase to be only one quarter per acre, instead of the two, or three, which have taken place on my farm; that increase on five millions of acres, at fifty shillings per quarter, would present an annual