The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-10-10 00:00:00

THE WHEAT CROP OP 1885.

Sir J. B. Lames writes: "It is very rarely that the
weather has been more favourable than that which
we have had this year for the ripening and harvesting
of the wheat crop of the country. The wheat plant
is a remarkable one, inasmuch as, whatever the
weather may be, it never fails to yield a crop, though
it is only on very rare occasions that its choicest
favours are bestowed upon us. Out of the forty-two
seasons over which our experiments at Rothamsted
have extended we have had only two which may be called
first-class, and yet we have no reason to suppose that
each crop. of the forty-two might not have been
equally good b d the season been equally favourable.
In writing a few years ago on the influence of climate
upon our wheat crops, we pointed out that in those
years in which the yield of wheat was un-
usually large one of the peculiar characteristics of
the climate was the steady and progressive increase
in the temperature during the whole period of
the growth of the crop." Sir J. B. Lawes appends a
table, showing the yield of some of the plots of his
experimental wheat field, the crop being the forty-
second in succession: "The selected plots are the
same as have been employed by us to determine the
yield of the wheat crop of the country for the last
twenty-two years. The average produce of the
selected plots shows a yield of not quite 29:1 bushels
per acre, but as the weight per bushel is slightly
higher than the standard of 611 b. we may take the
average yield as being 291 bushels. The peculiar
feature of the crop of this season is the large yield
obtained upon the plot manured with farm-yard dung
every year, as compared with the plots which receive
artificial manures. This year there is a difference of
seven bushels per acre in favour of the dung, the
mean of the artidcial manures giving 33* bushels, and
the dung 40 bushels per acre. It is only under very
special circumstances that the produce of the dung
exceeds that of the artificial manures, and as the
clunged plot is supplied every year with a large
amount of vegetable matter, while the plots to
which we apply artificial manures receive none,
we might expect to find that the wheat crop
upon fen soils, and soils that contain much
vegetable matter would be considerably over an
average. As the character of the climate has beg
specially unfavourable to the action Of artificial
manures, and the wheal: crop of the country generally
depends upon the manure of the farm, I should be
disposed to think that my figures, as representing the
yield of the country, are too low rather than too high.
Taking them, however, as they stand, with an area
under wheat of 2,554,852 acres, the home-grown pro-
duce will amount to 9,421,017 quarters, and deducting
21 bushels for seed the amount available for con-
sumption will be 8,702,465 quarters. The estimated
average population for the harvest year Sept. 1, 1885,
to Aug. 31, 1886. is 36,617.201, and allowing for a
consumption of 5-65 bushels per head, the total
amount of wheat required to feed the population will
be 25,860,898 quarters. The imports, there-
fore, required to supplement our home
produce will be a little over 17,000,000 quarters. Last
year we imported, and retained for home consumption,
18,000,000 quarters, while our estimated requirements
did not appear to amount to more than 16 1-3rd
million quarters ; there appears, therefore, to be a
large surplus • stock of wheat in our granaries, a
mfficient reason to account for the want of cry life in
the trade.'