The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-08 00:00:00

CULTURE OF LAND FOR WHEAT.

When land is ploughed only to the depth of three
or four inches, the active soil is so very limited that
the least change in the weather is injurious to the
plants growing on it. The manure which is always
applied to the wheat crop under this system of shal-
low ploughing forms a layer near the surface ; the
roots of the plant ramify only through the furrow-
slice in which the dung is placed, and consequently
the plant has but little hold of the ground. It is
thus, in severe weather in spring, the plant gets
" thrown out," 'as it is termed, by the frost. The
roots having spread out horizontally, near the surface,
are easily exposed to the weather, and, whether it be
mild or frosty, dry or damp, are entirely under its
influence : in a dry season, the shallow soil and the
manure in it become parched and inactive; in wet
weather, the roots having but little hold of the ground,
a soaking rain and a little wind loosen the plant, and
it is blown out. Wheat sown on a deeply-cultivated
soil, exerts the whole of its energy, at first in the pro-
duction of roots. These strike deeply in the soil,
filling the whole of it with their minute fibres. The
plants may appear thin during winter and in spring
—those which turn out the best crops often have this
appearance then—but whenever genial weather comes,
the organs of the leaf being highly excited, are pre-
ared for vigorous and luxuriant growth ; and a wide
held having been laid under contribution for the pur-
pose, the roots easily provide the nourishment required
to support them under it. If a plant in such a con-
dition be pulled up—if the soil be pulled up, it will
be found to have sent out its roots as minute fibres,
18 or 20 inches from it in all directions ; it is evident
that no variations of weather can affect it, situated
thus ' it draws its nourishment from sources be-
yond the influence of the variableness of external
agents. Thus deep cultivation, by encouraging depth
of rooting, indirectly effects for the plant a com-
parative independence of the weather ; but it has
a direct influence in the same direction, for, if the
weather be wet a great depth of soil readily absorbs
the water, and conveys it down to the drains; and, if
it be dry, it retains for a longer time a sufficiency of
moisture. Of two crops of corn, equally luxuriant
in their growth, that is not so liable to lodge which
is grown on the deeper soil, for its growth has been
more gradual and natural, and less the result of
artificial excitement. The manure in the shallow
soil has not had its rankness rectified by mixture
with a great mass of earth, and wheat grown upon
it will spring up rapidly, but without rigidity ; and
though it may at one stage of its growth look more
luxuriantly, it will at another yield less abundantly
than a neighbouring crop which has throughout
grown slower, and generally promised less. Of
course it must be understood that deep cultivation
can be safely entered upon only on soils that are
naturally or artificially dry. And now a few words as
to the depth at which wheat ought to be planted. We
think this has not yet been satisfactorily determined.
Nature ought to be our guide in things of nature;
she always drops her seed on the Surface ; and when
it is necessary that any particular seed should get
deeper than its natural gravitation would enable it,
she provides them with means for the purpose. Thus
the barley and wild oat have awns, or beards, by
which every motion of the seed pushes it forward;
such a seed, lying on the ground, assisted by the
wind, very soon wriggles itself beneath the surface.
We think, therefore, that the nearer the surface a
seed is planted the better, provided it be placed deep
enough to protect it from its enemies, the birds, &c.
This conclusion at which we arrive is strengthened
in reference to wheat by another circumstance • for, if
a wheat-plant be observed in spring, it will be seen
that at whatever depth the seed was originally planted,
the lateral roots which it has sent out to supply it with
nourishment are always sent out from it at a point not
far below the surface, certainly not more than one inch
below it.—Agricultural Gazette.

INCORPORATED SOCIETY OF LICENSED VICTU
ALLSILL—The Fiftieth Anniversary of the establishment of this ex-
tensive Society, and of the publication of the Morning Advertiser,
will be celebrated at the London Tavern to.morrow, and from the
deep interest which the event of the Society's jubilee has excited
In the minds of its members, it is confidently expected that their
attendance at the dinner will be unprecedentedly numerous. The
Proceedings of the day, under the superintendence of the worthy
Governor of the Society, Mr. Keesley, cannot fail to be deeply
interesting, as the Report intended to be read to the Company will
comprehend a detail of the vast benefits the Institution has con.
(erred upon the community during the first half century of its ex-
istence, and its advantages will be further and strikingly exempli.
fled by the presence of the numerous children supported in the Li.
sensed Victuallers' School—Advertiser of yesterday.
The new Plenipotentiary to Chilli, John Francis
Davis, Esq., resides at Hollywood House, near Henbury. This
is the second appointment to China from the neighbourhood of
Bristol—Bristol Msrcut'y.
COLBURN'S NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE for Fe-
bruary contains the first of a very opportune series of letters
from Hong-Kong and Macao, the contents of which are
highly interesting; the second part of the "Reminiscences
of Prince Talleyrand," a capital paper ; " The Butt," an
amusing story by Mrs. Trollope ; "The Verdict of the
World, a most interesting tale by Mrs. Gore ; " A Lost Cha-
racter,"-by Peter Priggins ; a continuation of the Marchio-
ness of Londonderry's "Tour to the Courts of Vienna," &c.
besides several other articles. Eliza Cook's " Song of the
Spirit of Poverty," is a bold and striking composition, and
cannot fail to awaken some thought on behalf of the poor.—
Morning Chronick.
THE LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM BAILWAY.—We
understand that the systera of " day tickets" is about to be adopted
on the London and Birmingham ltailway—thus enablingpersons to
go and return at a reduction of one-third from the ordinary fares.
The plan has succeeded admirably on other lines.—Railway

The Presbytery of Edinburgh have suspended and
deprived the Rev. James Hamilton, the present minister of the
Scotch Church, Regent-square, London, and declared him no
longer capable of holding any preferment in the Church of Scot-
land, or in connection with it. The trust-deeds of that place of
worship bind it to be in strict connection with the Established
Church of Scotland; and Edward Irving was removed from it, on
the sole ground that he was cut off by his presbytery in Scotland.'
FRENCH PLAYS.—These performances were at-
tended on .Monday by a full and brilliant audience, amongst
whom we observed the Duchess of Beaufort, the Earl and
Countess of Chesterfield, Lady William Paulet, Lord Ossulston,
Lord Fitzroy Somerset, Marquis of Worcester, Countess of Tanker-
ville, Lord and Lady Aylmer, Lord William Thynne, Sir Au-
gustus and Lady Foster, Lord God2rich, Lord Ranelagh, Lady
Langdale, Lady Flower, the Baroness Calabrella, Lady Leonard,
Lady Kaye, Sir Frederick Trench, Sir Frederick Nicholson,
Honourable M. Cadogan, H. T. Hope, Esq., Quintin Dick, Esq.,
J. H. Lowther, Esq., &c.

DEATH OF GENERAL CONNINGHAME.—This gal-
lant officer, whose demise has been officially reported at the India
House, had been in the service half a century, and was promoted to
the rank of Lieutenant-Genet al on the 28th of June, 1838 (Corona.
lion brevet).

The guards of the northern, western, and eastern
snails report that during Thursday night and yesterday morning
the fall of snow was very heavy, so as to render the rails very
difficult of passing over. The Southampton and Portsmouth mail
did not arrive at the General Post-office until 10 o'clock. Several
of the foreign mails were also behind time in consequence of the
boisterous state of the weather. On the South Eastern line to
Folkestone and Dover the snow storm was very keen and thick.
Perhaps even guilt itself does not impose upon
some minds so keen a sense of shame ana remorse as a modest,
sensitive, and inexperienced youth feels from the consciousness of
having neglected etiquette or excited rldicule.--Sir Walter Scott.
A greater numbs.r of wild geese have passed over
the fens within the last few weeks than in any former year
for some time past, an indication either that the frost has set
in severely in the north, or that these birds have the
wondrous faculty of prognosticating its approach.--Ipswich
Express`.