The wheat counties of England are Kent, Essex, Suffolk, Rutland, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, and Herelorus;lire ; that is, these are most distinguish ed for the quantity, as well as the quality, of their wheat. In the north of England, this grain is of an in ferior quality, being cold to the feel, dark coloured, thick skinned, and yielding comparatively little flour. In the best wheat counties, and in good years, the weight of a bushel of wheat, eight gallons to the bushel, is from 60 to 62 lbs. In the isle of Shepey, in Kent, (where perhaps the best samples of wheat sent to the London market are produced), this grain, in some fa vourable seasons, weighs 64 tbs. the bushel. Where the climate is naturally colder, wetter, and more back ward, or in bad seasons, the weight of the bushel of wheat is not more than 56 or 57 lbs. It is calculated that the average weight of the bushel of good English wheat is 58 lbs. yielding 344i lbs. of flour for standard wheaten bread; and 373 lbs. for household. Seven bushels of good wheat will make a sack of wheaten flour.
The culture of rye, which was formerly pretty ex tensive in some parts of England, has now nearly en tirely disappeared. This has arisen from the operation of two causes. In the first place, greater experience and improved skill have convinced the farmers, that a very large proportion of very light land, which was deemed fit only for rye, may, by proper management and due labour and expence, be rendered capable of producing valuable crops of wheat ; and, in the second place, the increased wages of the labouring classes of the community has naturally led them to a prelerence of wheaten bread to bread of any other description. Rye, however, is still cultivated in some parts of North umberland and Durham, either by itself, or along with wheat; and in the vicinity of the metropolis. In no other part is it cultivated to any extent for seed: but it is grown in many counties as green food for cattle, -coming early in the spring to maturity for this purpose, and afterwards allowing time for a subsequent crop the same year.
The culture of barley is also on the decline in most parts of England, owing, of course, to a diminished demand for it, and to the increasing demand for wheat, and consequent high price for this latter grain. The diminished demand for barley arises from the same cause which has produced a diminished demand for rye, namely, the increased wages of the labouring class es, in conjunction with another cause, the stoppage of distillation from this grain, which has frequently taken place in late years. These two causes would probably have diminished the growth of barley to a still greater extent than they have done, were it not for its impor tance as a crop in the rotation most adapted and bene ficial to light lands. The barley counties of England are principally Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Bed fordshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, and the up per parts of Herefordshire, Warwickshire, Shropshire.
The most common preparation for this crop, where its culture is best understood, and most extensively follow ed, is turnips; after these are drawn or eaten off, the land is ploughed two or three times, and harrowed re peatedly. The season for sowing barley extends from the middle of March to the end of April. It is more ge nerally drilled than wheat, but this mode of culture is by no means common ; when followed, about two bushels of seed are sown; in the broadcast method, three or 3i bushels. There are two leading varieties of this grain grown; the common barley, of which there are several kinds, and big ; the latter, however, is almost entirely confined to the hilly parts of the northern counties. The barley harvest, in the south of England, commences nearly about the same time as the wheat harvest, per haps a little later : in the north, it is often cut down be fore the wheat. The practice of mowing it, which has long been followed in the south, is becoming general ;. but the carrying it home in a loose state, without being bound into sheaves, is confined to the southern counties, and indeed can only be practised there with safety, where the climate is so warm and steady as frequently to ren der it fit to be carried to the barnyard in the course of a few days. It is seldom housed in any part of England. The produce varies from three to eight quarters: the most usual crop is 3i or 4 quarters: the usual weight of a bushel of barley is 50 lbs.: the best Norfolk barley, however, sometimes weighs 53 lbs. This crop is grown in sonic places after pease and tares, as well as after turnips ; and where it is sown on strong land, a sum mer fallow preparation is sometimes given. The prac tice of sowing it after wheat or oats is on the decline.
In consequence of the increased number of horses kept in England for business or pleasure, within these few years, the cultivation of oats has been considerably extended. As, however, they do not suit so well with a warm and early climate, as with a climate more moist and backward, the crops of them in the former being neither so abundant nor of such good quality as in the latter, the cultivation of oats is more attended to in the north of England and Wales, than in the southern counties. The counties in which they are most exten sively grown, are Northumberland, Durham, Cumber land, Westmoreland, Lancashire ; and the fens of Lin colnshire, Huntingdonshire, Northamptonshire, Cam bridgeshire, and Norfolk. It is calculated that one third of all the oats grown in England are the produce of these fens ; they are also cultivated on the higher lands of Cheshire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire, and in most of the Welsh counties, particularly in Caermarthen shire. As we advance into the midland counties of Eng land, their cultivation becomes less extensive, though many are grown in Leicestershire, and on the Trent bank land of Nottinghamshire.