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Agriculture Wheat
seed crop land acre grain sowing sown soils straw bushels
AGRICULTURE WHEAT It is unnecessary to dwell upon the value of this grain to the farmer and to the community. It constitutes emphatically our bread-corn - our staff of life. While its increased consumption is, on the one hand, an indication of an improved style of living among the general population, its extended culture points, on the other, to an improving agriculture, as it is only on soils naturally fertile, or that have been made so by good farming, that it can be grown with success. Wheat is sown both in autumn and spring, from which circumstance attempts have been made to classify its varieties by ranging them under these two general heads. This distinction can only serve to mislead ; for while it is true that there are varieties best adapted for autumn and for spring sowing respectively, it is also true that a majority of the kinds most esteemed in Britain admit of being sown at either season, and in practice are actually so treated. It is not our intention to present a list of the varieties of wheat cultivated in this country. These are very numerous already, and are constantly being augmented by the accidental discovery of new varieties, or by cross-impregnation artificially brought about for this purpose. The kinds at present in greatest repute in Scotland are the hardier white wheats, among which hunter's white still retains the first place. There arc many kinds Which, in favourable seasons, produce a finer sample ; but its hardiness, productiveness, and excellent milling qualities, render it a general favourite both with farmers and millers. Its most marked characteristic is, that in rubbing out a single ear, part of the grains are found to be opaque and white, and others flinty and reddish coloured, as if two kinds of wheat had been mixed together. Selections from Hunter's wheat have been made from time to time, and have obtained a measure of celebrity under various local names. The most esteemed of these is the Ilopeton wheat. On very rich soils both these varieties have the fault of producing too much straw, and of being thereby liable to lodge. Hence, several new kinds with stiffer straw, and consequent lessened liability to this disaster, are now in request in situations where this evil is apprehended. Fenton wheat, possessing this quality in an eminent degree, and being at the same time very productive, and of fair quality, is at present extensively cultivated. It has the peculiarity of producing stems of unequal height from the same root, which gives a crop of it an unpromising appearance, but has perhaps to do with its productiveness. The red-straw white and Piper's thick-set have properties similar to the Fenton. Piper's had the repute of being the shortest and stiffest strawed wheat in cultivation, but after a brief popularity is now never heard of. The red-chaff white is productive, and yields grain of beautiful quality, but it requires good seasons, as it sheds its seeds easily and sprouts quickly in damp weather. The Chiddarn, Trump, white Kent, and Talavera, have each their admirers, and are all good sorts in favourable seasons; but, in Scotland at least, their culture is attended with greater risk than the kinds previously named; they require frequent change of seed from a sunnier climate, and are only adapted for dry and fertile soils with a good exposure. A new sort, called square-head, has quite recently been introduced, and is reported to be so exceedingly prolific as to yield from six to eight bushels more per acre than any wheat previously in cultivation. As red wheats usually sell at from 2s. to 4s.
less per quarter than white wheats of similar quality, they are less grown than heretofore. But being more hardy and less liable to mildew and sprouting than the finer white wheats, a recurrence of unfavourable seasons always leads to an increased cultivation of them. Some of these red wheats are, however, so productive that they are preferred in the best cultivated districts of England. Spalding's prolific holds a first place among these, being truly prolific, and producing grain of good quality. In Scotland it shows a tendency to produce a rough quality of grain. The Northumberland red and the golden creeping are there in estimation ; the former being well adapted for spring sowing, and the latter for poor soils and exposed situations. Several new varieties of wheat have recently been introduced by Mr Patrick Sheriff of Haddington, formerly of Mungoswells. One is a large-grained red wheat, another somewhat resembles Hunter's in colour, and the third has grain of a pearly whiteness. They have all the peculiarity of being bearded. They are all true autumn wheats ; but they seem also well adapted for spring sowing, as they ripen early. A red bearded variety, usually called April wheat, from its prospering most when sown in that month, and which indeed is a true summer wheat, is sometimes grown with advantage after turnips, when the season is too advanced for dthcr sorts. But except upon poorish clay soils, it seems only doubtfully entitled to a preference over barley in such circumstances. The list now given could easily be extended ; but it comprises the best varieties at present in use, and such as are suited to the most diversified soils, seasons, and situations in which wheat can be grown in this country. In regard to all of them it is reckoned advantageous to have recourse to frequent change of seed, and in doing this to give the preference to that which comes from a soil end climate better and earlier than those of the locality in which it is to be sown. Every farmer will find it worth his while to be at pains to find out from whence he can obtain a change of seed that takes well with his own farm, and having done so, to hold to that, and even to induce his correspondent to grow such sorts as he prefers, although he should have to pay him an extra price for doing so. An experienced farmer once remarked to the writer, that by changing his seed he got it for nothing ; that is, his crop was more abundant by at least the quantity sown, from the single circumstance of a suitable change of seed. It is proper, however, to state, that this practice of changing the seed is founded more upon mere opinion than upon well-ascertained facts, and that in those instances where it has been followed by beneficial results nothing is known of the causes to which such success is due. It is much to be desired that our agricultural societies should address themselves to the thorough investigation of a question of such vital importance. In fixing upon the kind of wheat which he is to sow, the farmer will do well to look rather to productiveness than to fine quality. For however it may gratify his ambition to show the heaviest and prettiest sample in the market, and to obtain the highest price of the day, no excellence of quality can compensate for a deficiency of even a few bushels per acre in the yield. It is of importance, too, to have seed-corn free from the seeds of weeds and from other grains, and to see that it be true of its kind. Farmers who are systematically careful in these respects frequently obtain an extra price for their produce, by selling it for seed-corn to others; and even millers give a preference to such clean samples.
But there are seeds which no amount of care or accuracy in dressing can remove from seed-corn - viz., those of certain parasitical fungi, which must be got rid of by a different process. The havoc caused to wheat crops by bunt, blackball, or pepper-brand (Uredo caries or Tilletia caries), before the discovery of the mode of preventing it by steeping the seed-corn in some acrid or caustic bath, was often ruinous. The plan at first most usually adopted was to immerse the seed-wheat in stale chamber-lie, and afterwards to dry it by mixture with quick-lime, This pickle, as it is called, is usually efficacious; but the lime vexes the eyes and excoriates the hands and face of the sower, or clogs the hopper of the sowing-machine, and has therefore been superseded by other substances. Blue vitriol (sulphate of copper) is as good as anything for this purpose, and is used in the following manner. A solution is prepared by dissolving powdered sulphate of copper in water, at the rate of two ounces to a pint for each bushel of wheat. The grain is emptied upon a floor; • a little of it is shovelled to one side by one person, while another sprinkles the solution over it, and this process is continued until the whole quantity is gone over. The heap is then turned repeatedly by two persons working with shovels opposite to each other. After lying for a few minutes, the grain absorbs the moisture, and is ready for sowing either by hand or machine.
The season for wheat-sowing extends from September to April, but ordinarily that succeeds best which is committed to the ground during October and November. When summer-fallows exist the first sowings are usually made on' hem. It is desirable that the land neither be wet nor very dry when this takes place, so that the precise time of sowing is determined by the weather ; but it is well to proceed as soon after 1st October, as the land is moist enough to insure a regular germination of the seed.
Over a large portion of England wheat is the crop usually sown after clover or one year's "seeds." In such cases the land is ploughed in the end of September, imme- diately harrowed, and wheat sown upon it by a drilling machine. On loose soils the land-presser is frequently used to consolidate the soil and to form a channel for the seed, which in such cases comes up in rows, although sown broadcast. It is more usual, however, first to level the pressed furrows by harrowing, and then to use the drill, by means of which various portable manures are frequently deposited along with the seed-corn. The sowing of wheat after clover or " seeds," as now described, is rarely practised in Scotland, where it so invariably fails as to show that it is unsuited to our northern climate. It is here not unusual, however, to plough up such land in July or August, and to prepare it for wheat-sowing by what is called rag-fallowing. After the first ploughing the land is harrowed lengthwise, so as to break and level the surface of the furrows and close the interstices without tearing up or exposhig any green sward. It is then allowed to lie for ten or fourteen days to allow the herbage to die, which it soon does at this season when light is thus excluded from it. A cross ploughing is next given, followed by repeated grubbings, harrowing, and rollings, after which it is treated in all respects as a summer-fallow.
The fallow and clover leas being disposed of, the land from which potatoes, beans, pease, or vetches have been cleared off will next demand attention. When these crops have been carefully horse and hand hoed, all that is required is to clear off the haulm to plough and sow. If the land is not clean, recourse must be had to a short fallowing process before sowing wheat. For this purpose the surface is loosened by the broadshare and grubber, the weeds harrowed out and raked off, after which the land is ploughed and sown. On soils well adapted for the growth of beans and wheat, viz., those in which clay predominates, any lengthened process of autumn cultivation is necessarily attended with great hazard of being interrupted by rain, to the loss of seed-time altogether. Every pains should therefore be taken to have the land so cleaned beforehand that these unseasonable efforts maybe dispensed with; and to have the sowing and harrowing to follow so closely upon the ploughing as to diminish to the utmost the risk of hindrance from wet weather. As the crops of mangolds, carrots, or turnips arrive at maturity, and are either removed to the store-heap or consumed by sheep where they grow, successive sowings of wheat can be made as the ploughing is accomplished and as the weather permits. It is to be noted, however, that it is only on soils naturally dry, or made so by thorough draining, and which are also clean and in a high state of fertility, that wheat-sowing can be continued with advantage during the months of December and January. If the whole of these conditions do not obtain, it is wiser to refrain until February or March. When these late winter sowings are made, it is of especial importance to sow close up to the ploughs daily, as a very slight fall of rain will, at this season, unfit the land for bearing the harrows. This sowing and harrowing, in detail, is the more easily managed, that in the circumstances cross-harrowing is neither necessary nor expedient. Under the most favourable conditions as to weather and drainage, soils with even a slight admixture of clay in their composition will at this season plough up somewhat clammy, so that cross-harrowing pulls the furrows too much about, and exposes the seed, instead of covering it more perfectly. Two double turns of the harrows lengthwise is as much as should be attempted at this season.
The sowing of spring-wheat is only expedient on dry and fertile soils with a good exposure. Unless the whole conditions are favourable, there is much risk of spring-sown wheat being too late to be properly ripened or well harvested. On the dry and fertile soils in the valley of the Tweed, where the entire fallow-break is sown with turnips, and where consequently it is difficult to get a large breadth cleared in time for sowing wheat in autumn, it is the practice to sow it largely in February and March, and frequently with good success. Many judicious farmers are, however, of opinion that, taking the average of a twenty years' lease, barley is a more remunerative crop than spring-sown wheat, even under circumstances most favour-: able to the latter. When it is resolved to try it, a very full allowance of seed should be given - not less than three bushels per acre, and 3i will often be better. If the plants have room they will tiller ; and thus the ripening of the crop is retarded, the risk of mildew increased, and the quality of the grain deteriorated. As much seed should therefore be sown as will yield plants enough to occupy the ground fully from the first, and thus remove the tendency to tittering. By such full seeding a fortnight is frequently gained in the ripening of the crop, and this frequently makes all the difference between a remunerative crop and a losing one.
Much controversy has taken place about the quantities of seed-wheat which should be used per acre. The advocates of thin seeding have been so unguarded and extra-, vagant in their encomiums of their favourite method, - some of them insisting that anything more than a few quarts per acre does but waste seed and lessen the produce, - that many persons have been induced to depart from. their usual practice to their serious cost. It is true that with land in a high state of fertility, and kept scrupulously clean by frequent hoeings, a full crop of wheat may be obtained from half a bushel of seed per acre, provided that it is sown in September, and deposited regularly over the surface. But what beyond a trifling saving cf seed in gained by this practicer I And at what cost and hazard is even this secured 7 I;• is a mere fallacy to tell us, as the advocates of excessively thin seeding so often do, that they obtain an increase of so many hundred-fold, whereas thick seeders cannot exceed from twelve to twenty fold, when after all the gross produce of the latter may exceed that of the former by more than the quantity of seed saved, with less expense in culture, less risk from accidents and disease, an earlier harvest, and a better quality of grain. Such a crowding of the ground with plants as prevents the proper development of the ear is of course to be avoided; but the most experienced growers of wheat are convinced of the benefit of having the ground fully occupied at the time when active spring growth begins. This is secured by using two bushels per acre for the sowing made early in October, and by increasing this quantity at the rate of half a peck per week until three bushels is reached, which may be held as the maximum. Less than this should not be used from the middle of November to the end of the season. These are the quantities to be used in broad-cast sowing ; when drilling or dibbling is resorted to, two-fifths less seed will suffice. In Scotland, at least, often repeated trials have shown that larger crops are obtained by broadcasting than by drilling. The latter mode is, however, to be preferred wherever the land is infested by annual weeds, which can then be got rid of by hoeing. When clover and grass-seeds are sown with the grain crop, it is believed also that they thrive better from the grain being sown in rows, probably because in this case light and air are less excluded from them. It is believed also that in highly-manured soils of a loose texture, grain deposited somewhat deeply in rows is less liable to lodge than when sown broad-cast and shallower. When drilling and hoeing are resorted to, the latter is effected most cheaply and effectively by using Garret's horse-hoe. The mere stirring of the soil is considered by many farmers to be so beneficial to the wheat crop that they use the horse-hoe irrespective of the presence of weeds. Others are of opinion that, apart from the destruction of weeds, hoeing is injurious to grain crops, alleging that the cutting of their surface roots weakens the stems and increases their liability to fall over. Carefully conducted experiments are required to settle this point. We have no personal experience bearing upon it beyond this, that we have repeatedly seen a wheat crop much benefited by mere harrowing in spring. It is always useful to roll wheat, and indeed all cereal crops, in order to facilitate the reaping process, although no other benefit should result from it. When the plants have been loosened by severe frosts, or are suffering from the attacks of the wire-worm, the use of Crosskill's roller is usually of great benefit to the crop.
A plan of growing wheat year after year on the same field without the use of manure was practised for a number of years by the late Rev. Mr Smith of Lois Weedon, Northamptonshire, and detailed by him in the pages of the Royal Agricultural Society's Journal, and in a pamphlet which has passed through many editions and had a very extensive circulation. His plan is to a certain extent a revival of that of Jethro Tull, but with this important difference, that whereas Tull occupied his ground with alternate double rows of wheat a foot apart, and vacant spaces, five feet wide, which were carefully cultivated by ploughings and horse-hoeings repeated at intervals from the springing of the wheat until midsummer, Mr Smith introduced two important elements in addition, viz., thorough draining, and trenching the vacant spaces in autumn, so as to bring portions of subsoil to the surface. A field treated on this system consists of alternate strips of wheat and bare fallow, which are made to exchange places year by year, so that each successive crop occupies a different site from its immediate predecessor. It has also the benefit of the fresh soil brought up by the previous autumn's double-digging, which is subsequently mellowed and pulverised by lengthened exposure to the atmosphere, and by frequent stirrings. The produce obtained by Mr Smith from his acre thus treated was very nearly 34 bushels each year for confidence in the scheme." On steam-power being introduced, Mr Smith became convinced of the practicability of carrying out his system with advantage on an entire farm. At first he restricted himself to the employment of manual labour, but he subsequently invented a set of implements for sowing, covering in, rolling, and hoeing his crops by horse labour. We give in his own words his directions for carrying out this system, what he believed to be the advantages of it, and the cost of thus cultivating an acre : - " I suppose, at the outset, the land intended for wheat to be wheat land ; having besides a fair depth of staple, and a subsoil, as will generally, though not universally be the case, of the same chemical composition with the surface. I suppose it dry, or drained three feet deep at least; well cleaned of weeds ; the lands cast ; and the whole tolerably level.
"1. First of all, then, plough the whole land, when dry, one inch deeper than the used staple. if it turn up cloddy, bring the clods down with the roller or the crusher. Let this be done, if possible, in August. Harrow deep, so as to get five or six inches of loose mould to admit the presser. Before sowing wait for rain. After the rain wait for a fine day or two to dry the surface. With this early commencement a week or two is of no material importance compared with that of ploughing dry and sowing wet.
" As early as possible, however, in September, get in your seed with the presser-drill, or with some implement which forms a firm-bedded channel in which to deposit the seed, grain by grain, a few inches apart. Cover over with the crusher or rough roller.
When the lines of wheat appear above ground, guard against the rook, the lark, and the slug - a trite suggestion, but ever needful, especially here. And now, and at spring, and all through summer, watch for the weeds, and wage constant warfare against them. The battle may last for a year or two, or in some foul cases even more ; but, in the end, the mastery, and its fruits, without fail, will be yours.
The plant being now distinctly visible, dig the intervals two spits deep, increasing the depth, year after year, till they come to twenty or twenty-four inches. Bring up at first only four, or five, or six inches, according to the nature of the subsoil, whether tenacious, or loamy, or light. To bring up more at the outset would be a wasteful and injurious expense.
" The digging is done thus : - Before proceeding with the work, a few cuts are made within three inches of the wheat, the back of the spade being towards the rows. A few double spits, first of all, at the required depth, are then thrown out on the headland, and there left for the present. After this, as the digging proceeds, the staple is cast to the bottom, and the subsoil thrown gently on the top. This process is carried on throughout the whole interval ; at the end of which interval, just so much space is left vacant as was occupied by the soil thrown out at the beginning of it. In commencing the second interval at that finished end, the earth is thrown out as at first, not on the headland, however, but into the vacant space of the first interval. And so on all over the acre.
Late in winter, and early in spring, watch your opportunity, in dry weather, before the roots of the plant are laid bare, to press them with the crusher.
In the spring and early summer stir the spaces between the rows as often as tho surface becomes crusted over ; and move the settled intervals four or five inches deep with the common scarifier, set first of all about twenty-eight inches wide, reducing the width till it come by degrees to twenty-four and eighteen inches. Continue the process, if possible, at the last-named width, up to the time of flowering in June.
"These operations are indispensable to full success, and happily can be carried on at little cost ; for, while the intervals of each acre can be scarified in fifty minutes, the horse-hoe implement, covering two lands at once, can stir between the rows in twenty-five.
Immediately the crop is carried, clean the intervals, and move them with the scarifier in order to sow, without delay, the shed grains. When these vegetate and come up into plant, move the intervals again five or six inches deep, and so destroy them. After that, level with the harrow implement, and the land is ready for the drill.
" If anything occur to prevent the sowing early in September, and to drive you to the end of October, set the drill for a thicker crop. But, if possible, sow early - for this reason. Tillered wheat has a bad name. But that has reference only to wheat which has tillered late in the spring. And certainly, in that case, there is the fear of danger to the crop, and danger to the sample. For supposing. no mildew to fall on it, even then the plant ripens unevenly ; the early stems being ready for the sickle, while the late-grown shoots have scarcely lost their verdure. But if mildew come when the stem is soft, and succulent, and porous, instead of being, as it should be at that time, glazed. and case-hardened against its attacks, the enemy enters in and checks the circulating sap ; and the end is, blackened straw, light ears, and shrivelled grain. Therefore, sow early. Let the plant tiller before winter. Give every stem an equal start at spring ; and then, with a strict adherence to rule, there need be uo alarm as to the result, subject only to those visitations from which no wheat, on any system, in the same description of soil, and under the same climate, is secure." - (See pamphlet, Word in Season, p. 36.) "The advantages of the system of corn-growing which I have. described are principally these : - First, while one crop of wheat is growing, the unsown intervals of the acre are being followed and prepared for another. This the farmer well knows to be of infinite moment, meeting, as it does, one of the greatest difficulties he has to contend with. Next, upon this half-portion of the acre, tilled as 1 describe, there is a yield. equal to average crops on a whole acre. Then, for half the portion of an acre, there is, of course, only half the labour and half the expense of an entire acre required for cultivation. And, lastly, the hand-labour required finds constant employment for the poor." - (Ibid., p. 17.) " After harrowing, and cleaning, and levelling the whole, I marked out the channels for the seed with my presser implement, which is drawn with one horse, and presses two lands at once. My scheme of implements, to be complete, embraced a drill, which was to act immediately behind the presser-wheels, and to drop seed by seed into the hard channels. The spindle of the presser was to turn the drill-wheels, and the boxes were to be made removable. Being unable to accomplish this in time for this year's sowing, I had the seed, as heretofore, dropped by hands, and covered over by rollers.
" These rollers form the roller implement in the same frame, and are managed thus : the three-wheeled pressers are removed from their sockets, and in their place two rough rollers, formed of several wheels on the self-cleaning principle, are introduced, and cover over two lands at once.
"The portion of the field. thus seeded will lie in this firm but rough state till spring time. Then, when the rollers have been applied again to keep the roots of the plant well in their place, they too will be removed from the frame, and light wheels and hoes will, be attached, forming the horse-hoe implement, for hoeing and stirring between the wheat.
" There is yet one other use for the implement frame. The intervals of the wheat having been trenched in autumn, and well and frequently stirred by the common scarifier at spring, are shut out by the wide-spreading wheat-plant in June from all further processes till the crop is cut and carried. They are then to be moved and levelled by the common one-horse scarifier for seed-time. After this will follow the harrow. The hoes will be removed from the frame, and two small harrows will be attached, to cover two lands at once ; and with this implement the horse will walk ou the stubble-land, between what before were the intervals ; and the cycle of operations is now complete.
" In all these operations (excepting in that of scarifying) the sown lands, and lands about to be made ready for sowing, are untouched by the foot of man or horse.
"The time occupied in scarifying the land is about an hour the acre ; in heavily pressing the channels for the seed, half an hour ; in the other operations about 20 or 25 minutes." - (Pp. '25, 26.) " The presser-drill, spoken of in p. 25, is completed, and I now sow the four acres in 90 minutes, timed by watch ; being at the rate of 18 or 20 acres a day in a day of 8 hours, with a horse of average power and speed.
"It has been thought advisable to keep the drill in its own frame, - devoting another frame to the roller-wheels or crusher, the hoes, the searifiers, and harrows, all of which are made removable, and which, with the exception of the spade, the hand-hoe, and the common scarifier for stining the intervals, perform the whole cycle of operations for cultivating the land for wheat." - (Pp. 33, 34.) " I have only to show now, by my fresh balance-sheet, how with suitable implements, on wheat-land, the whole scheme I propose is economical, as well as easy and expeditious.
Particular attention was directed to this system of wheat culture by a lecture on Tull's husbandry, delivered by Professor Way, at a council meeting of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, and by the animated discussion which followed ; when several gentlemen who had visited Mr Smith's farm bore testimony to the continued excellence of his crops, and intimated that they and others had begun to test the system upon their own farms. If such a practice can indeed be pursued on the generality of clay-soils, then the puzzling problem of how to cultivate them with a profit is solved at once. It is not to be thought that practical farmers would regard otherwise than with incredulity a system which so flatly contradicts all existing theory and practice. The facts submitted to them by Mr Smith being beyond challenge, they would naturally imagine there must be some peculiarity in the soil at Lois Weedon which enabled it to sustain such heavy and continued demands on its fertility; and that the issue, there and elsewhere, must eventually be utter sterility. For our own part, believing that we have exceeding much to learn in every department of agriculture, we cannot thus summarily dispose of these facts. We simply accept them as true, and leave the exposition of them to experience, whose verdict we await with much interest.
But Mr Smith is not the only person who has furnished us with information regarding the continuous growth of wheat for a series of years on the same soil. Mr Lawcs, at Rothamstead, in Hcrts, so well known by his interesting papers on agricultural chemistry in the Royal Agricultural Society's Journal, has furnished some facts in connection with the culture of wheat on clay soils to which farmers were little prepared to give credence. Mr Caird, who visited Rothamstead early in 1851, thus refers to the subject in his valuable work : - " On a soil of heavy loam, on which sheep cannot be fed on turnips, 4, 5, and 6 feet above the chalk, and therefore uninfluenced. by it, except in so far as it is thereby naturally drained, ten crops of wheat have been taken in succession, one portion always without any manure whatever, and the rest with a variety of manure, the effects of which have been carefully observed. The seed is of the red cluster variety, drilled uniformly in rows at 8 inches apart, and two bushels to the acre, hand-hoed twice in spring, and kept perfectly free from weeds. When the crop is removed the land is scarified with Bentall's skimmer, all weeds are removed, it is ploughed once, and the seed for the next crop is then drilled in. During the ten years, the land, in a natural state, without manure, has produced a uniform average of 16 bushels of wheat an acre, with 100 lb. of straw per bushel of wheat, the actual quantity varying with the change of seasons between 14 and 20 bushels. The repetition of the crop has made no diminution or change in the uniformity of the average, and the conclusion seems to be established, that if the land is kept clean, and worked at proper seasons, it is impossible to exhaust this soil below the power of producing 16 bushels of wheat every year.
" But this natural produce may be doubled by the application of certain manures. Of these, Mr La•es's experiments led him to conclude that ammonia is the essential requisite. His conclusions are almost uniform, that no organic matter affects the produce of wheat, except in so far as it yields ammonia ; and that the wholo of the organic matter of the corn crop is taken from the atmosphere by the medium of ammonia. There is a constant loss of ammonia going on by expiration, so that a larger quantity must be supplied than is contained in the crop. For practical purposes, 5 lb. or ammonia is found to produce a bushel of wheat, and the cheapest form of ammonia at present being Peruvian guano, 1 cwt. of that substance may be calculated to give 4 bushels of wheat. The natural produce of 16 bushels an acre may therefore be doubled by an application of 4 cwt. of Peruvian guano. To this, however, there is a limit - climate. Ammonia gives growth, but it depends on climate whether that produce is- straw or corn. In a wet, cold summer a heavy application of ammonia produces an undue development of the circulating condition of the plant, the crop is laid, and the farmer's hopes are disappointed. Seven of corn to ten of straw is usually the most productive crop ; five to ten seldom yields well. The prudent farmer will therefore regulate his application of ammonia with a reference to the average character of the climate in which his farm is situated.
"The practical conclusion at which we arrive is this, that in the cultivation of a elay-land farm, of similar quality of soil to that of Mr Lawes, there is no other restriction necessary than to keep the land clean ; that while it is very possible to reduce the laud by weeds, it is impossible to exhaust it (to a certain point it may be reduced) by cleanly cultivated corn corps ; that it is an ascertained fact that wheat may be taken on soils of this description (provided they are manured) year after year, with no other limit than the necessity for cleaning the land, and that may best be accomplished by an occasional green crop - turnip or mangold, as best suits - at great intervals, the straw being brought to the most rotten state, and applied in the greatest possible quantity to insure a good crop, which will clean the land well. If these conclusions are satisfactorily proved, the present mode of cultivating heavy clays may be greatly changed, and the owners and occupiers of such soils be better compensated in their cultivation than they have of late had reason to anticipate." - (Caird's English Agriculture, in 1850 and 1851, pp. 460-462.) It is certainly curious to observe, that the addition of four cwt. of guano brings up the produce of Mr Lawes's acre from its average annual rate of sixteen bushels, under its reduced normal state, to very nearly the same as Rev. Mr Smith's acre under his system of alternate strips of corn and summer fallow.
From information carefully gathered, Mr Caird gives it as his opinion, that the average produce of wheat per acre in 26 of the 32 counties of England visited by him is 26i bushels, or 14 per cent. higher than it was estimated at in the same counties by Arthur Young SO years before. Were the country generally anything like as well cultivated as particular farms that are to be met with in all parts of it, we should have the present average increased by at least eight bushels per acre. 63 lb per bushel is a weight indicating a good quality of grain. A good crop of wheat will yield a ton of grain and about two tons of straw per acre.
Besides its uses on the farm, wheat straw, in certain limited districts in the south of England, is an article of some value, as the raw material of a not unimportant native manufacture, namely, Straw-Plait. The first straws used for this purpose in this country were grown in the neighbourhood of Luton in Bedfordshire. This town is still the principal seat of the straw trade and straw bonnet manufacture, and the district around still produces the finest quality of straws ; but straw-growing is now also carried on in parts of Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire. Light, rich soils are best adapted for this purpose. The kinds of wheat grown with this view are the Red Lammas and the Chiddam. A bright, clean, tough straw being required, it is necessary to begin reaping before the flag of the straw falls. If the straw is exposed to rain, it becomes rusted or spotted ; if to very hot and dry weather, it gets sunburnt and brittle. The utmost care and energy must, therefore, be used to get the crop dried, carried, and stacked as quickly as possible. In favourable seasons an acre of wheat will yield (besides the grain) from 15 cwt. to a ton of cut straws, of the value of .E6 to £3 per ton, clear of all expenses. The farmer sells his straw to a class of men called straw-factors, who draw and cut the straws in his barn. The drawing and cutting-off of the ears being there performed, the factors remove the straw to their own premises. There it undergoes a farther cutting, is exposed to the fumes of sulphur, assorted into proper lengths, and made up into marketable bunches of various sizes and qualities. These bunches are disposed of to the plaiters at the various markets of the district. About 50,000 females and boys are engaged in plaiting. No plait is made in factories, the work being performed by the wives and children of agricultural labourers in their own cottages, where it is carried on all the year except in harvest. The straw trade, in its various departments, is of considerable importance and is steadily increasing. The gross returns are supposed not to fall short of £1,250,000 per annum.
There is now also a small demand for wheat straw for the manufacture of paper.
Section 2. - Barley.
In Great Britain barley is the grain crop which ranks next in importance to wheat, both in an agricultural and commercial point of view. Its use as bread-corn is confined to portions of the lowlands of Scotland, where unleavened cakes, or " bannocks o' barley meal," still constitute the daily bread of the peasantry. It is more largely used in preparing the " barley broth" so much relished by all classes in Scotland. To fit the grain for this purpose, it is prepared by a peculiar kind of mill, originally introduced from Holland by Fletcher of Saltoun, in which a thick cylinder of gritty sandstone is made to revolve rapidly within a case of perforated sheet-iron. The barley is introduced betwixt the stone and its case, and there subjected to violent rubbing, until first its husk and then its outer coatings are removed. It is, however, in the production of malt liquor and ardent spirits, and in the fattening of live stock, that our barley crops are chiefly consumed. We have no doubt that it would be better for the whole community if this grain were more largely used in the form of butcher-meat and greatly less in that of beer or whisky. It has been customary for farmers to look upon distillation as beneficial to them from the ready market which it affords for barley, and more especially for the lighter qualities of this and other grain crops. But this is a very short-sighted view of the matter ; for careful calculation shows that when the labouring man spends a shilling in the dram-shop, not more than a penny of it goes for the agricultural produce (barley) from which the gin or whisky is made ; whereas, when he spends the same sum with the butcher or baker, nearly the whole amount goes for the raw material, and only a fraction for the tradesman's profits. And not only so, but time man who spends a part of his wages upon strong drink diminishes, both directly and indirectly, his ability to buy wholesome food and good clothing ; so that, apart from the moral and social bearings of this question, it can abundantly be shown that whisky or beer is the very worst form for the fanner in which his grain can be consumed. Were the £50,000,000 at present annually spent in Great Britain upon ardent spirits (not to speak of beer), employed in purchasing bread, meat, dairy produce, vegetables, woollen and linen clothing, farmers would, on the one hand, be relieved from oppressive rates, and, on the other, have such an increased demand for their staple products as would far more than compensate for the closing of what is at present the chief outlet for their barley.
There are many varieties of barley in cultivation, and some of them are known by different names in different districts. Those most esteemed at present in Berwickshire and neighbouring counties are time Chevalier, the Annat, and the common-early long-eared. The chevalier produces the finest and heaviest grain, weighing usually from 5.1 lb to 56 lb per bushel, and is in high estimation with maltsters.
Tt is also tall and stout in the straw, which is less liable to lodge than that of the common barley ; and when this accident does happen, it has the valuable property of not producing aftershoots or greens. It requires about fourteen -days longer than the common-early to reach maturity, but as it admits of being sown earlier than the latter sort, this is in practice no drawback to it. The Annat barley resembles the chevalier in its leading features, but is yellower in its complexion, and not quite so round in the grain. It ripens a few days earlier than the chevalier, and in our own experience is more productive. The common-early is more liable than those just noticed to suffer from ever-luxuriance. It is generally used for the latest sowings on those portions of land from which the turnip crop has been longest in being removed.
In the elevated or northern parts of the kingdom, four-rowed barley, usually called bere or bigg, is cultivated, as it is more barely, and ripens earlier than the two-rowed varieties. A new variety, called Victoria bere, is said to be so productive, and to yield such a heavy sample, as to be worthy of cultivation even in lowland districts.
Barley delights in a warm, friable soil, and thrives best when the seed is deposited rather deeply in a tilthy bed. Being the grain crop best adapted for succeeding turnips that have been consumed by sheep-folding, advantage must be taken of favouring weather to plough up the land in successive portions as the sheep-fold is shifted. So much of it as is ploughed before 1st February will usually get so mellowed by the weather as to be easily brought into suitable condition for receiving the seed. In Scotland the usual practice is to sow broadcast on this stale furrow, and to cover the seed by simple harrowing. A better way is first to level the surface by a stroke of the harrows, and then to form it into ribs twelve inches apart by such an implement as has been described when speaking of Tennant's grubber. Over this corrugated surface the seed is sown broadcast, and covered by another turn of the harrows. The ribbing loosens the soil, gives the seed a uniform and sufficient covering, and deposits it in rows. The only advantage of such ribbing over drilling is, that the soil is better stirred, and the seed deposited more deeply, and less crowded than is done by the ordinary drills. It is certainly of great advantage to have the seed-corn deposited in narrow lines, so far as the working of the horse-hoe is concerned; but we are convinced that stiffer stems, larger ears, a more abundant yield, and a brighter sample, are likely to be obtained when the seed is loosely scattered in a channel three or four inches wide than when crowded into a narrow line. This grain is now sown considerably earlier than heretofore. When the soil is enriched by plentiful manuring, its temperature raised by thorough draining, and the climate and exposure favourable, it should be sown as early in March as possible, and will often do remarkably well although sown in February. This early sowing counteracts that tendency to over-luxuriance by which the crop is so often ruined in fertile soils. It is chiefly owing to this early sowing (although aided by the use of hummelling machinery) that the average weight of barley is so much greater now than it was thirty years ago. From 54 lb to 56 lb per bushel is now about the average weight in well-cultivated districts ; while 57 lb and 58 lb is by no means rare. The produce per acre ranges from 30 to 60 bushels, 36 bushels being about the average. The quantity of seed used per acre is from 3z to 3 bushels for broadcast sowing, and about a, third less when drilled. As already remarked in regard to wheat, it is well, as the season advances, to avoid, by a fuller allowance of seed, the temptation to excessive filleting, and consequent unequal and later ripening: A good crop of barley yields about 1 ton each per acre of grain and straw.
Section 3. - Oats.
Over a large portion of England oats are grown only as provender for horses, for which purpose they are fully ascertained to be superior to all other grains. Except, therefore, on fen-lands and recently-reclaimed muiry soils, the cultivation of oats in South Britain bears a small proportion to the other cereals. It is in Scotland, " the land o' cakes," that this grain is most esteemed and most extensively cultivated. Considerably more than half of the annual grain crops of Scotland consists, in fact, of oats. The important item which oatmeal porridge forms in the diet of her peasantry, and of the children of her other classes, has something to do with this extensive culture of the oat ; but it arises mainly from its peculiar adaptation to her humid climate. As with the other cereals, there are very numerous varieties of the oat in cultivation. In Messrs Lawson's Synopsis of the Vegetable Products of Scotland, it is said (Div. i. p. 80), " Our collection comprises nearly sixty varieties, about thirty of which are grown in Scotland; but of these not more than twelve are in general cultivation. These twelve varieties, enumerated in the order of their general cultivation, are, the Potato, Hopetoun, Sanely, Early-Angus, Late-Angus, Grey-Angus, Blainslie, Dun, Friesland, Black Tartarian, and Barbachlaw." The first four kinds in this list are those chiefly cultivated on the best class of soils. It is to the produce of these that the highest market prices usually have reference. The weight per bushel of these sorts usually runs from 42 lb to 46 lb. From 50 to 60 bushels per acre is a usual yield of oats. The two last named kinds are chiefly esteemed for their large produce, and adaptation to inferior soils; but being of coarse quality, they are chiefly used for provender. A variety which stands the winter is now frequently grown in England, for the double purpose of first yielding a seasonable supply of green food to ewes and lambs in early spring, and afterwards producing a crop of grain. It has already been stated that in Scotland wheat does not prosper when sown after clover or pasture ; but with the oat it is quite the reverse, as it never grows better than on land newly broken up from grass. It is, accordingly, almost invariably sown at this stage of the rotation. The land is ploughed in December or January, beginning with the strongest soil, or that which has lain longest in grass, that it may have the longest exposure to the mellowing influences of wintry weather. In March or April the oats are sown broadcast on this first ploughing, and covered in by repeated harrowings. These are given lengthwise until the furrows are well broken down, for if the harrows are worked across the ridges before this is effected, they catch hold of the edges of the slices, and, partially lifting them, permit the seed-corn to fall to the bottom, where it is lost altogether. As it is only when a free tilth is obtained that the crop can be expected to prosper, care must be taken to plough early and somewhat deeply, laying the furrows over with a rectangular shoulder, to sow when the land is in that state of dryness that admits of its crumbling readily when trode upon, and then to use the harrows until they move smoothly and freely in the loose soil, two or three inches deep. The Norwegian harrow is an important auxiliary to the common ones in obtaining this result. When wild mustard and other annual weeds abound, it is advisable to drill the crop and to use the horse-hoe. When the land is clean, the general belief in Scotland is that the largest crops are obtained by sowing broadcast. When the latter plan of sowing is adopted, from 4 to 6 bushels per acre is the quantity of seed used. The latter quantity is required in the case of the Hopetoun and other large-grained varieties. The condition of the soil as to richness and friability must also be taken into account in determilling the quantity of seed to be used. When it is in high heart and likely to harrow kindly, a less quantity will suffice than under opposite conditions. In breaking up a tough old sward, even 6 bushels per acre may be too little to sow. The following very interesting experiment bearing on this point was made in the county of Fife : - " Mr Gulland, Wemyss, offered a sweepstakes in 135O, that 4 bushels of oats, sown per Scotch acre, in poor land, would yield a better produce than 8 bushels sown under similar conditions. The late Mr Hill, maintaining the contrary, accepted the sweepstakes, and a number of others took up the same. Experiments were made by Mr Dingwall, Ramornie, and Mr Buist, Hattonhill The advocates for thin seeding will of course regard even the least of these quantities as foolishly redundant. It is quite true, that if the land is in good heart, the crop will ultimately stand close on the ground from a very small seeding; but it will take two or three weeks longer to do this than if the land had been fully stocked with plants from the first, by giving it seed enough. In our precarious climate, where a late harvest and bad crops usually go together, it is of the utmost importance to secure early, uniform, and perfect ripening ; and as liberal seeding tends directly to promote such a result, practical farmers will do well to take care how they omit such a simple means of attaining so important an end. We believe that it is on the principle now indicated that the superior result, both as respects quantity and quality of produce, in the double-seeded lots in the experiments now cited, is to be explained.
As with wheat, the vigour and productiveness of the oat is much enhanced by frequent change of seed. Our agricultural authorities usually assert that the change should, if poAsible, always be from an earlier climate and better soil. This is undoubtedly true as regards high-lying districts ; but with a good soil and climate we have always seen the best results with seed from a later district. A homely old couplet tersely expresses the experience of our ancestors in this matter of the changing of seed-corn by directing us to procure - "Oats from the hills, here from the sea, Gude wheat and pease wherever they be."
On poor hard soils it is usually remunerative to apply a cwt. of guano per acre to the oat crop, sowing it broadcast, and harrowing it in along with the seed. As much additional produce is thus ordinarily obtained as more than pays for the manure, and the land is, in all respects, left in better condition for the succeeding green crop. In the case both of very light and strong clay soils, we have obtained excellent results by applying a liberal dressing of farm yard dung in autumn to grassland about to be broken up for oats. By using in this way the dung produced during the summer months, we have obtained abundant crops of oats from portions of land which, but for this, would have yielded poorly ; and, at the same time, by applying the bulky manure at this stage of the rotation, instead of directly for the succeeding green crop, an important saving of time and labour has been effected, as we shall have occasion to notice when treating of turnip-culture.
When the young oat plants have pushed their second leaf, it is always beneficial to use the roller, as it helps to protect the crop from the evil effects of drought, and facilitates the reaping of it. The oat frequently suffers much from a disease called " segging " or "tulip root," which appears to be caused by the presence of a maggot in the pith of the stems close to the ground. On land which is subject to this disease it is advisable not to sow early. A dressing of lime is also believed to be serviceable as a preventative. On muiry soils this crop is also not uufrequently lost by what is called "slaying." This seems to result from the occurrence of frosty nights late in spring, when the crop is in its young stage, which, when grown on such soils, it cannot withstand. The application of large dressings of lime to light muiry soils greatly aggravates this tendency to slaying in the oat crop. The only effectual remedy is to improve the texture of the soil by a good coating of clay. Oats yield about 1 ton of grain and 1 ton of straw per acre.


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Chapter 11: Deep Trouble
Gnarl blinked when Master Thorn returned to the throne room. He'd expected the Master to take his time with the traitor.
"You've notified them all?" the Master asked without preamble. Within moments of him dropping into his throne the fingers of his left hand tapped restlessly on the stone arm.
"Yes, Sire. Every port has your orders." Apparently his time in the dungeons hadn't been sufficient to work off his temper: that meant Gnarl would need to tread carefully. He was accustomed to soothing ruffled Overlordly tempers, but never before after something he considered a failure.
The simple truth was that Gnarl couldn't remember ever having failed his Overlord this catastrophically, and he had no idea what he should do.
Master Thorn nodded. "Good." He beckoned.
Gnarl sighed under his breath and obeyed the silent command.
"Explain." That single word was accompanied by a fierce glare.
Gnarl's ears drooped. "Apologies, Sire." This was definitely a time when starting with apologies was indicated. "There were no problems with any of the other shipments of slaves, and that batch seemed no different. I neglected to examine them individually." Any objections about a lack of time would be useless. He could have housed the new slaves in the uppermost levels of the Tower dungeons until they'd been examined, or even in a storeroom come to that.
The slow tap of the Master's armored fingers on stone grated on Gnarl's nerves.
"How did they get hold of enough gas to put the entire Tower to sleep?" Lightning crackled around the Master's fingers.
It took all Gnarl's self-control not to step back. "One of them was in the private quarters, Sire, and no doubt provided your Mistresses with small amounts to assist them to sleep." It really was unfortunate that there was no way to ensure a slave's compliance short of destroying their ability to think for themselves. They simply lacked the strength to be properly turned to the Master's will.
That meant a degree of risk with every slave in the Tower: they had to be trusted to handle some things. Until today, Gnarl would have said that nothing the slaves had access to could threaten the Tower. "I will investigate how they were able to keep so much hidden, Lord." That particular elvish concoction wasn't easy to come by, and enough to put the whole cursed Tower to sleep had to be close to the Netherworld's entire stock.
It could have been worse, Gnarl reminded himself. If the traitors had been able to collect more of it, there could have been dead Mistresses instead ofor as well as kidnapped spawnlings. Possibly dead Gnarl as well. Not that this was something he could safely tell Master Thorn right now.
The entire Netherworld would be walking on nails until the Master had his spawnlings back. Gnarl didn't dare consider what would happen if the Master's spawnlings were harmed. While there would certainly be a magnificent slaughter, Gnarl's head was far too likely to be among those that rolled, which rather took the enjoyment out of it.
Rather than dwell on that prospect, he tried changing the subject to something more likely to put the Master in a better temper. "I gather that traitor offered little resistance, Lord."
This glare was almost physical. "Slyce is convincing him he wants to talk."
Gnarl winced. At this rate his ears were going to try to tie themselves in knots.
Despite his size, Master Thorn moved with frightening speed. One moment he was sprawled in his throne, the next he had risen and had Gnarl by the throat, holding him so Gnarl was staring directly into the glowing golden eyes.
"The only reason you haven't joined the traitor is that you're needed," the Master said in a soft, dangerous voice. "Remember that, Gnarl." He opened his fist, letting the minion master drop.
Gnarl doubted he would be able to forget.
Doniel frowned, and with a gesture froze the image that hung in the air. While he had no objections to watching his son terrorize Gnarl and to anyone who knew the old minion master, it was quite clear that was exactly what was happening the reason Gnarl was in the predicament was far more troubling.
He leaned forward, resting his chin on his left hand while his right hand drummed his knee.
It was trivial now to sift through the memories of the living to find the knowledge he desired, trivial to seek out the minds of those behind the abduction of his grandchildren. When he had first acquired that ability, it had been overwhelming, even terrifying.
The problem was what he should do with the knowledge.
If he were still merely the Overlord, there would have been no question about it. He'd retrieve the infants and slaughter everyone involved in stealing them.
That, sadly, was not an option.
Not that he couldn't do it: rather, the consequences of him acting directly were enough to terrify him.
Rose looked up from the book she'd been studying. "It's an attractive view, dear, but why the sour face?"
Doniel had to smile. He dismissed the image. "It is attractive," he admitted. "The problem is why Thorn wants to choke the little mongrel."
"Now you're insulting perfectly decent dogs." Rose didn't smile, but there was a hint of it there.
Doniel snorted. He pushed stray hair back from his face. "He got complacent, and now Thorn's children have been abducted."
Rose gasped.
"I could retrieve them
except that She has her hand in this." Doniel shook his head. "I don't know who would win if there were to be another war between gods. I'm not as strong as the Forgotten God was at his peak, but she has weakened herself too." He made a face. "Regardless, the world could never survive such a conflict."
For a moment Rose seemed frozen, then she stood, and moved to stand beside him, rested her hands on his shoulders. "That puts a different face on it," she said. "What will you do?"
Doniel considered that question before he replied. "I don't know, my love. While She is playing games, I risk too much acting directly. I happen to be rather fond of the world." He made a rude noise. "Destroying it because someone else is doing something useful with it is just petty."
Rose made a sound of disagreement. "She hasn't acted directly, as I understand it. Perhaps she's trying to undo the mess she let happen?"
He shook his head. "No. She's sowing chaos." Of that much at least, Doniel could be certain. "If she were trying to atone, she would be bringing order to her peoples."
"I wasn't aware she had any left." That was very dry indeed.
Doniel chuckled softly. "Not in the part of the world you know," he said. "In the years before the war between the gods, elves, dwarves and humans sent explorers west, certain there would be lands beyond Everlight. They were forgotten in the war, and all knowledge of them lost." He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "Until the Empire found them mostly by accident."
Rose's hands tightened on his shoulders. "I thought the colonies were supposed to be in the Everlight Islands."
"That was what you were supposed to think," Doniel said. "It wouldn't look at all good to tell people that not only would they be colonizing land where the inhabitants fought back, they couldn't do anything about the magic. Not enough eradicators or sentinels." He didn't try to keep his amusement out of his voice.
Rose sighed. "I hobbled both those programs as much as I dared. It wasn't enough."
"Better than nothing." Doniel turned to smile at her. "If sentinels or eradicators had been able to establish themselves over there, we might have lost the elves entirely." He shook his head. "What Thorn left of Everlight is too demoralized to be much use, not that it was much in the first place. Evernight is a mere shadow clinging to existence only because the ghosts refuse to let it go."
"Dreary creatures."
He pulled her down to kiss her. "In their place, I couldn't say I wouldn't be dreary either."
Rose batted at his hands then settled into his lap. "You never would."
He shrugged. "In any case Everdawn is the last true hope of the elves. The dwarves of the Everwhite Ranges are also thriving, and firm allies. Perhaps more important than that, they haven't spent millenia purging their ranks of those with magical ability."
Rose hissed. "Really? I thought dwarves just weren't magical."
He nodded. "The Golden Hills dwarves are as close to unmagical as the race can get, now. Maybe one dwarf is purged in a dozen years." Doniel sighed. "Stupid, really."
"What about the human population over there?" Rose asked.
"Oh, they also thrive. And mingle freely with elves and dwarves -- so much so that there may well be a new race in the making." Now he grinned fiercely. "One that bears Her no loyalty or goodwill. None of the westerners do. They blame rather than worship."
She blinked.
Doniel explained. "Plainchant whine. It's magnificent."
When Thorn returned to the dungeons, the traitor's screams had devolved to hoarse cries somewhere between sobs and moans. The incoherent pleas to be allowed to tell all he knew eased the burning fury a little.
He looked no better than he sounded. Most of his skin lay on the floor of the dungeon, attached only by a band of about six inches wide around his left leg.
Thorn didn't ask how Slyce had managed to get everything off. He was quite certain he didn't need to know.
All three minions grinned at him with guileless delight.
"Him want to talk now, Master," Slyce said cheerfully.
"Him never shut up," Sear added before he turned to the green and carefully burned off the accumulated blood and flesh on Slyce's wrist blades, keeping the heat of his flame high enough to clean the weapons without getting so hot they lost their edge or tempering.
"Strong." Storm's comment was a little less obvious, until he added, "Never needed any healing."
Thorn nodded, acknowledging all three, then focused on the loosely-piled skin. Unlike animal hide, it was thin, fragile stuff, easily damaged. If he'd calculated right, the spells he planned would both protect it, and keep it linked to its owner as though it was still in the process of being removed regardless of any healing that happened later.
If the spell failed and the slave became recalcitrant again, he could always retry the experiment after the man had healed. Thorn suspected Storm would regrow his skin as many times as needed. Slyce would certainly remove it just as often. Sear would need to be allowed to play as well, of course, but that could also be healed easily enough. Storm wouldn't let such a wonderful plaything die of heart failure from excessive pain.
He focused his attention on the slave and the skin, then on the shape he needed his magic to take. Lightning crackled around his fingers, subsiding as he released his magic. A blue haze settled over the slave and the skin, sank in.
Thorn bent, and stroked the skin with one finger.
The slave jerked from semi-consciousness with a hoarse cry.
Thorn's grin would have terrified the man if it hadn't been concealed by his helm. He turned to Slyce. "You can finish now."
"Yes!" Slyce bent, delicately sliding one blade between skin and flesh.
The man screamed again, and would have tried to pull away if he hadn't been stretched so tight he couldn't manage more than a few feeble twitches. Blood oozed and smeared the wall and shackles.
Thorn was impressed. It took skill to take a man's skin off without breaking any of the major blood vessels. There were too many places where veins ran close to the surface.
Slyce pulled the skin away. "All done, Master." He licked his blades with obvious relish.
The slave clearly had little strength left: as soon as Slyce stopped he stopped struggling and lapsed back into agonized stupor.
"Storm, fold that up and make sure it's preserved." Thorn indicated the skin.
The slave's hoarse breathing became sobs while the minion worked, carefully folding the awkward, blood-smeared hide so that he finished with a neat bundle that could be easily carried in one hand. "For you, Master."
Thorn laid the bundle on his upturned palm. "Heal him."
The blue moved quickly, although it took him a long time to finish the healing this time. Regrowing skin was evidently a more complex endeavor than healing wounds.
The slave's breathing grew more regular as Storm worked, and he slipped into true unconsciousness.
Thorn had seen the effect often enough. When the pain stopped, the subject would often pass out. Waking them was a simple matter of a flicker of lightning in their direction: that tiny exercise in magic invariably brought the subject to full wakefulness in the space of a few heartbeats.
Finally, the minion stepped back. "Him all healed, Master."
Thorn gave a single nod, then sent a short burst of lightning in the man's direction.
The slave jerked in his shackles and turned a terror-filled gaze to the Overlord. "Please... no more..."
Thorn stepped forward. "Tell me about the plot," he said in a soft, cold voice.
The man shuddered. "I... I don't know much... But Centurion Lucius, he gave the orders. He set us up, me, Marcus, Petrus, Centurion's sister Lucilla... Petrus got hisself killed in the fighting, but the rest of us came here and did as we was told... Until Lucilla got a message from the Centurion to move."
"How did the message get in?" Thorn demanded. If he didn't have something to vent fury on, and soon, he'd kill Gnarl and damn the consequence. The minion master should never have let any of this through.
"The baby stuff, Lord... one of the Centurion's people in the suppliers... Dunno who..." He swallowed.
"Your plans?"
The slave didn't need any more prompting. "We was to take the babies... kill the women and the old pervy minion if we could."
Thorn's hands clenched into tight fists.
The slave screamed. "Please, Master, please! No more!"
Thorn forced himself to relax, forced his hands to open.
The slave hung limp, gasping, for a few moments before he managed to summon words again. "Couldn't get enough gas t'do it... just grabbed the babies... Lucilla an' Marcus went on ship with Centurion... I was t' stay back, pass on anything I could... in th' food orders... coded."
"We'll discuss that later," Thorn growled. "Where did they take the babies?"
The man sobbed. "I... Please Master, I dunno fer sure... It's... somewhere west of Everlight is all I know. Please, don't punish me... I dunno anything else..."
"Why take them?" Thorn cut the pleading short with a snarl.
The slave whimpered. "Dunno, Master... Centurion never said why... y'don't ask questions in th' legions."
Thorn studied the shattered wreck of a man for a moment before he said, "Let him down."
All three minions looked disappointed, but they hurried to comply.
"We'll discuss the rest later."
The trouble deepens. And Gnarl is a very lucky minion.


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My son loves the first song on the soundtrack. You know, the one with the ice guys. My baby girl likes "GOOOOO!"
My husband even knows all the words, and that's saying something. Like I said in my FROZEN craft post, Disney's FROZEN is unstoppable, and believe it or not, it's about to get a whole lot more fun!
The sing-along edition is coming in time for the holidays!
Arriving on DVD and Digital on November 18th 2014!
Experience Frozen, the hit musical comedy from Walt Disney Animation Studios, like never before in a new to DVD, full-length Sing-Along Edition! Follow the lyrics with a bouncing Frozen snowflake. Join Anna as she sets off on an epic journey – teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff and a snowman named Olaf – to find her sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. It's pure enchantment – and full of fun for the whole family!
Click here to view the sing-along trailer:


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Nagging elbow injury forces Garza to DL
Nagging elbow injury forces Garza to DL
Garza was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 18, with a right elbow bone contusion.
"I'm not happy going on the DL," Garza said. "I'd rather get healthy and come back in a start or two and get after it."
It wasn't a specific pitch that caused the problem, Garza said, but something that's been nagging him for some time. He underwent an MRI on Monday, which showed there was no structural damage.
"We're just happy it's just a bruise," Garza said. "It could've been worse. There's a lot of reasons things like that happen. It's more wear and tear. If you're a runner and your knees are sore, it's usually a bruise. It's something that happens."
If all goes well, Garza (2-4, 3.72 ERA) could be ready for the Cubs' series in St. Louis, which starts June 3. He will not throw for a few days to give the bruise time to heal.
"Optimistically, we feel that as soon as the full range of motion is back and he gets rid of the discomfort, he could be ready to pitch in St. Louis," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said.
The Cubs have been scrambling to fill two spots in the rotation with the loss of Cashner and Wells after their first turn in the rotation. They can't afford to lose Garza for long.
"It was the best news we could hope for," Hendry said of the MRI results.
Cashner has been on the disabled list since April 6 with a strained right rotator cuff and was examined on Monday by orthopedic specialist Dr. Lewis Yocum, who confirmed what the Cubs team doctor reported, which was aggravation of the shoulder. Cashner felt some discomfort before he was to pitch in a game at extended spring camp in Mesa, Ariz., last week.
"No surgery is needed or even close to being needed," Hendry said of Cashner, who will restart his rehab.
Yocum was unable to provide an explanation as to why Cashner aggravated the shoulder but felt the right-hander will heal fine.
Wells, on the disabled list since April 5 with a strained right forearm, pitched four innings in his second rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Iowa. He was back at Wrigley Field on Tuesday and will start Saturday in the second game of the Cubs' series against the Pirates.
"He threw the ball with a lot of snap, a lot of velocity," Hendry said of Wells' last rehab start. "He wasn't sharp but the arm strength was good and the slider was good, and he'll be ready to go Saturday."
Wells said he was ready to throw 90 pitches. Being sidelined has been "difficult," he said.
"You start asking a lot more questions and you start paying a lot more attention to minor things [when you're hurt]," he said.
Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. She writes a blog, Muskat Ramblings, and you can follow her on Twitter@CarrieMuskat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Peter Lawrence Buck (born December 6, 1956 in Berkeley, California) is the guitarist and co-founder, along with Bill Berry, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe, of the alternative rock band R.E.M.
Throughout his career with R.E.M., which was founded in 1980, Buck has also been an official member of various 'side project' groups. These groups include Hindu Love Gods, The Minus 5, Tuatara, The Baseball Project and Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3, each of which have released at least one full-length album. Additionally, another side project group called Full Time Men released an EP while Buck was a member; a current side project group called Slow Music plays semi-regular gigs.
Buck also has a notable career as a record producer (including releases by Uncle Tupelo, Dreams So Real, The Fleshtones, Charlie Pickett, and The Feelies), as well as a session musician (for the likes of The Replacements, Billy Bragg, and Eels.)


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We're a 150-acre live-work-play development on the Tar River, including 300,000 sf of office/multi-use space, 10-20 acres for selected advanced manufacturing, and 100 new and restored homes/ apartments.
The Village at Rocky Mount Mills boasts new and renovated village homes for rent. Beautiful loft apartments will be available as well. Located less than a mile from downtown and right off of 64, you can get here from anywhere!
Rocky Mount's first two breweries are located at Rocky Mount Mills, with restaurants and other event venues soon to follow. Outdoor spaces abound for live music, playing a game of cornhole or hopping on the Tar River Paddle Trail.
Innovative from the ground up, Rocky Mount Mills is equipped with three hydroelectric turbines, capable of generating green renewable energy. Original wood beams, brick and enormous windows provide the right environment for growing your business. Whether you are looking for 3,000 square feet or 30,000 square feet, there is a place for your company here.
We combined a brewery education degree program at Nash Community College with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, giving start-up brewers the resources necessary to launch their business.


text: 2013-14 Barcelona Home Mini Kit (MESSI 10). Official Lionel Messi football shirt for the Barcelona football team. This is the new Barcelona home shirt for the 2013-14 La Liga season which is manufactured by Nike and is available in mini kit sizes: XSB, SB, MB, LB, XLB. This Barcelona football shirt is red and blue in colour and comes with Lionel Messi shirt printing on the jersey. Shorts and Socks come with shirt.


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Roc N Soc Drum Throne Top - Round - Blue
For the best on stage comfort, check out the Roc N Soc range!
A soft velour seating panel and vinyl trim finish covers this hand sculpted, high grade foam cushion. Offering exceptional comfort and support, the soft velour also allows your body to breate during hours of sitting.
This round seat model is Blue.
Note: this is the throne top ONLY, base and back rest sold separately.
Roc N Soc Drum Throne Tops
- Hand-sculptured, high grade foam cushion
- High grade foam will never bottom out
- Cloth seat panel to prevent sweating or slipping
- Quality vinyl trim for durability
- Colour: Blue
On all orders over £99!
Free shipping is for UK mainland only & excludes highlands & islands.
(See full terms & conditions)
Upcoming Events
Check out upcoming clinics, masterclasses & shows.


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Personal library of the late Professor Brian Kelley donated to IWP
Over 396 books from the late Professor Brian Kelley's personal collection have been donated to the library at The Institute of World Politics.
Prof. Kelley, who taught counterintelligence courses at the Institute, had a distinguished career in the Air Force and CIA. He had been involved in a number of historic espionage cases and shared his experience with his students at IWP.
"Professor Kelley was every bit a teacher as he was a mentor," remembers Rebekah Stroman, Class of 2010. "He sought to instill an appreciation of counterintelligence in his classes, which he did easily through his gifted teaching and 'story-telling' skills. But I'm not sure if he was aware that the students learned the most about the subject matter because of his shining example of humility and courage under fire.
"He lived what he taught, but he never let it consume him. Professor Kelley remained true to his values and, I believe, is one of the finest examples of an American patriot. He could talk to you privately about the ins and outs of the greatest counterintelligence cases in recent history, and in the next instant ask you how your career was progressing and how your loved ones were fairing. He never forgot the details and he never failed to make each of us feel as if we truly mattered and could make a difference in this world. And for that, he was deeply admired and dearly loved."
"We are honored to receive this gift," commented Dmitry Kulik, IWP Library Director. "This special collection will allow students to experience at least a small part of Prof. Kelley's intellectual legacy."
Please click here for Prof. Kelley's obituary in the Washington Times, and eulogy by IWP President John Lenczowski.


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Chipmakers turn to inferencing as the next big opportunity for this technology.
A new crop of device makers are developing chips based on high-resolution radar technology for assisted and autonomous driving in cars.
Differences in equipment under scrutiny as tolerances tighten.
Technology begins shipping, but which approaches work best, and where, is still not clear.
Samsung's panel fan-out; GF's FD-SOI push; UMC ships 28nm in China; device demand.
Chipmakers wrestle with EOS, ESD and other power-related issues as leading-edge chips are incorporated into industrial and automotive applications.
Focus is on cutting costs across the board, and it turns out there is still quite a bit to cut.
Chipmakers turn to inferencing as the next big opportunity for this technology.
Part 2: For the IP industry to remain healthy it has to constantly innovate, but it's getting harder.
Dynamic, thermal, packaging and electromagnetic effects grow, and so do the interactions between all of them.
DDR5, NVDIMMs, SGRAM, 3D XPoint add more options, but solutions may be a mix and much more complex.
Just relying on faster processor clock speeds isn't sufficient for vision processing, and the idea is spreading to other markets.
The answer appears to be a resounding no, but innovation isn't necessarily happening in the same places as in the past.


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Akron Falls 78-45 Against South Carolina - Game Recap
The battle between South Carolina and Akron didn't turn out to be much of a battle at all as Akron was handed a 78-45 defeat on Saturday at Colonial Life Arena.
South Carolina won and also put money in the pockets of their supporters by covering the 1.5-point spread as favorites.
Brenton Williams had 24 points for South Carolina and Michael Carrera chipped in with 13 points. Duane Notice had 6 assists for them, while Michael Carrera was the team's top rebounder, grabbing 7 boards.
Akron got 13 points from Quincy Diggs in a losing cause and another 8 points from Deji Ibitayo. Quincy Diggs contributed 4 assists for them, while Pat Forsythe had 5 rebounds.
First-half bettors who backed South Carolina were victorious, as the score was 30-24 at the break.
South Carolina won the battle of the boards, outrebounding their counterparts 34-27.


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Fulbright Scholarship Awarded to Assumption Alumna
Assumption College alumna Katherine Vachawski '14 of Coventry, R.I., has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarship. Vachawski will conduct research in Lithuania during the 2014-2015 academic year on how and whether the shared experience of Catholicism works to integrate the Polish community in Vilnius, Lithuania.
"Katherine Vachawski represents the best of an Assumption College education and embodies the finest qualities of a Fulbright Scholar," said Assumption College President Francesco C. Cesareo, Ph.D., a former Fulbright Scholar himself. "The Assumption community is proud of her commitment to intellectual growth and cultural awareness. Katherine wants to make a difference in our world, and the Fulbright scholarship provides her the opportunity to contribute to discovering solutions to shared international concerns."
During her year abroad in Lithuania, Vachawski will investigate how the practice of Catholicism, with some uniquely Lithuanian elements, creates a sense of unity and Lithuanian national identity for Poles in that country. She will observe religious services in Polish and Lithuanian churches in Vilnius, as well as interview Polish community parish priests to gain a deeper understanding of the role of Lithuanian religious practices in the Polish community. She will also interview Polish-speaking churchgoers to understand the extent to which religion brings them closer to native Lithuanian identities. She'll ask, for example, whether they attend the same religious festivals and whether they engage in culinary and musical exchanges at such festivals.
"My research as a Fulbright Scholar will contribute to the field of ethnographic religious studies and, more importantly, it will reveal information about national identity formation in an ethnically diverse Lithuania," said the 22-year-old Vachawski. "It is my hope my findings can then be used to understand other countries that are ethnically diverse and provide insights into the different ways that ethnicities assimilate."
She will study under the supervision of Professor Milda Ališauskienė, head of the sociology department at Vytautas Magnus University in Vilnius.
The child of Polish immigrants, Vachawski graduated from Assumption with honors, double majoring in global studies with a business concentration, and in Italian Studies. Her honors thesis was "Trials and Tribulations: How the Catholic Church Remained Relevant in Poland in the 1970s." In January, she presented a paper at the Phi Alpha Theta History National Honor Society's Biennial Convention in Albuquerque, N.M., titled "Fighting for Youthful Souls: Catholic Church in Poland in the 1970s."
In 2012, Assumption's Department of Modern and Classical Languages selected Vachawski, who is fluent in Polish and Italian, to receive the Convocation Award as the College's top major in Italian. During her junior year, she spent a semester abroad, studying in Urbino, Italy. In fall 2013, Assumption appointed her to the Worcester World Affairs Council as a student member.
Vachawski's future professional plans include working with an international corporation before pursuing her ultimate career goal to become a U.S. Economic or Public Diplomacy Foreign Service officer. Already working on that track, she served as an intern earlier this year with the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service at the U.S. Embassy in Dublin, Ireland.
"I am the first and only one in my family to be born in and attend college in the United States," Vachawski noted. "I chose to attend Assumption College because it parallels who I am; small and quiet at first glance, but hiding beneath the surface is something unique and extraordinary.
"Assumption College has allowed me to grow as a scholar and a young woman," she added. "The amount of learning and knowledge one gains by going to Assumption cannot fit on a brochure.. It is a life-changing experience that has prepared me for my life."
While a student at Assumption, Vachawski received many accolades, including the George A. Doyle Merit Award for Excellence in Economics or Global Studies; the St. Thomas Aquinas Merit Scholarship; and the Professor James McCarthy Memorial Scholarship. She also volunteered with Friendly House community shelter and Veterans Inc., both in Worcester.
"Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic merit as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields," said Professor Smriti Rao, Assumption College's post-graduate scholarship advisor.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program enables more than 1,700 U.S. citizens to study, teach, and conduct research abroad each year. This flagship international educational exchange program is sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. "Fulbrighters" meet, work, live with and learn from the people of the host nation, sharing daily experiences. The program operates in more than 140 countries.
Kimberly Dunbar, Director of Public Affairs, Assumption College
email@example.com @AssumptionNews


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That is a little misleading since no disease is truly common in Dachshunds Most Dachshunds are born healthy and live long, relatively disease-free lives.Almost every dog can develop minor health issues even if they receive vaccinations and excellent life-long care. Even dogs that receive their vaccinations and excellent life-long care can develop some minor health issues in their lifetime.
Nevertheless, there are some conditions that tend to occur more frequently in Dachshunds that in other breeds.
Adrenal Gland Malfunction
Hyperadrenocorticism, or Cushing's Disease, is one common disease of the adrenal gland. In Cushing's Disease, too much of the hormone cortisol is produced, either by the adrenal gland or by a primary tumor, or a malfunction of the pituitary gland, which is the master gland that tells the adrenal gland how much cortisol to produce. The elevated cortisol level results in hair loss, excessive drinking and urination, a pot-bellied appearance, skin conditions and occasionally diabetes. Specific laboratory tests can be used to diagnose Cushing's disease and treatment depends on the results. There are several different drugs that can be used to decrease the level of cortisol. If adrenal cancer is present, surgical excision of the gland may be needed. Cushing's disease is also found in other breeds of dogs.
The opposite condition is called Addison's disease or low cortisol (hypoadrenocorticism). Cushing's takes some time to present itself, but Addison's disease is a sudden episode of collapse due to too low of glucose (blood sugar) and an imbalance of the electrolytes. The sudden illness results in an emergency visit to the veterinarian for fluid therapy and cortisone injections to correct the imbalances. Being as the sudden collapse resembles many disorders, Addison's is the most difficult disease to diagnose. Specialized blood tests are needed to identify both Cushing's and Addison's Disease. Life long treatment with prednisone and electrolyte supplements will be needed to treat Addison's disease.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
Several eye diseases can affect Dachshunds, such as cataracts and progressive retinal atrophy. PRA is a degeneration of the retina, the lining in the back of the eye. This results in slow vision loss and eventual blindness. PRA is a genetic trait and because it often does not show up until the dog is older, the dog may have already been bred and passed the condition to the puppies. Unfortunately, there is currently no cure or treatment for PRA. Other eye diseases that can affect Dachshunds are glaucoma, cataracts, optic nerve hypoplasia, abnormal eyelashes (distichiasis) as well as other conditions. Regular eye exams can help detect these eye-disorders early.
Intervertebral Disc Disease
By far the most common disease of Dachshunds is related to the discs between the vertebrae (the bones of the spine). The disc is normally gelatinous and provides a cushion between the bones of the back (spine). In Dachshunds, this material some times calcifies, or hardens, and sometimes ruptures. The herniated disc causes swelling and pain around the spinal cord and the nerves coming out from the spinal canal. Early signs of a herniated disc are pain, a reluctance to jump up, partial paralysis and sometimes total paralysis or the rear legs,. The majority of them with disc disease can be managed medically with pain medication and anti-inflammatory medications. Some owners have tried holistic medicine, such as acupuncture or chiropractic manipulation to help with the pain. With a complete rupture resulting in total paralysis, immediate surgery to relieve the pressure on the spinal cord may help restore full function in the legs. The sooner the surgery is preformed, the greater the chances of full recovery.
Researchers are using lasers to fuse or burn the discs in order to prevent future herniation. Because this is such a common problem, I do recommend purchasing health insurance for your pet. Unfortunately, some owners cannot afford the surgery and pets suffering with total paralysis or extreme pain are euthanized. A few of my patients, which were partially paralyzed, did recover some function of their legs over time. There is no way to predict which dogs will recover without the surgery.
Vaccination Reactions
Allergic reactions to vaccinations does seem to occur in the Dachshund more often than any other breed. The reaction is usually minor, resulting in swelling of the face and muzzle and occasional hives. Occasional vaccine reactions can occur with any dog so it is always a good idea to observe your pet for a few hours after their shots. With the advances in vaccines, fewer side effects do occur and the benefits far outweigh the risks.
With good health care, Dachshunds can lead a long and healthy life. Proper diets, preventive health checks, vaccinations, heartworm and parasite prevention, and good dental care can help your Doxie live longer. You can find more information concerning your dogs health at LuvUrDog.com as well Dachshund breed gifts.


text: I just traded a racquet here on TT after a long absense and got this monster. It was supposed to be a brand new KFactor K6.1 95 (16x18 ). After inspecting it I noticed the following: * the print on one side says K 6.1 Tour * the actual string pattern 16 X 19 (not 16 X 18 ) * the print inside the throat says: - string pattern 16 X 19 - head size 90 sq in (although it's clearly 98 head) - weight 320 g (11.3) - balance 31.5 (8 pts HL) * the warranty sticker has no serial number on it * there is no Made in China sign anywhere on the racquet * the grommet pieces are sticking out at the throat * the paint finish is matte * the black plastic buttcap has no 3-letter code, just a red trap door * the grip is not Wilson True Grip but made of some cheap plastic WHAT IS IT?


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I've been listening to Mastodon since I heard they toured with High on Fire. It started off as an ok-band. While their first material didn't came off as something that'd blow your mind, something was to be noted. The quality of their releases seemed better each time. With each published song, Mastodon's space in the rock n roll world seemed more and more undeniable.
With this album they have consolidated themselves. Their incredible rhythm section only continues to develop from their previous releases and set up the pace for the melodies to take hold in a strong and decisive fashion. Their progressive intention is also to be noted, as they are able to produce songs that not only are technical, but not tough on the old eardrums. Both the leading and rythm guitars are more in harmony, with riffs that don't deviate outside their still in development style. The soloing also is worked to a level that fits much, much better to a band that receives influences from sludge, groove, stoner metal, among others. It sounds coherent, intelligent and powerful.
This band is to be carefully listened and considered to be among the new standarts of contemporary metal. I admire the effort to make progressive metal and yet not fall in the "mathemathical" category. The evolution and experience adquired since Blood Mountain is significant if not more. It does slow the tempo just a bit, but it does contribute to form them much more, and gives them a voice that's coming to be more and more unique.
It is incredibly satisfying to listen (in the record, of course) that a band that promises so much to be fulfulling themselves, taking their time and carefully thinking before taking a single step into the recording studio. An album not to be missed.


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What a game for Oral Roberts senior righthander Chance Chapman, who struck out 17 batters in the Golden Eagles' 5-3 upset of No. 7 Arkansas on Tuesday. Chapman was only scheduled to pitch five or six innings, but he ended up going 8 2/3 innings and throwing 149 pitches.
"I knew going in they were going to be a very tough team, probably the toughest team we'™ve faced," Chapman told the Times Record of Fort Smith, Ark. "And I knew if I didn'™t hit my spots it was probably going to get pounded."
But Chapman was on his game, and Oral Roberts rode him to one of the day's only upsets. Top 25 teams faced a number of quality opponents yesterday, but the favorites held serve in most of them. No. 24 UC Irvine did drop an 11-6 decision to Nevada-Las Vegas, and a couple of teams just outside the rankings fell, as Missouri and Stetson both lost close games against Creighton and Central Florida, respectively. No. 8 Rice also lost to No. 9 Texas in a game that saw Longhorns outfielder Kyle Russell belt his 16th home run, but that can hardly be regarded as an upset. And Wichita State junior outfielder Matt Brown (pictured) slugged two homers in the Shockers' 8-3 win over Kansas State, bringing us seamlessly to this week's mailbag question:
I was curious for your thoughts on the following players and how they have performed and looked to scouts this year: Matt Brown (OF, Wichita State); Travis Banwart (RHP, Wichita State); Austin Krum (OF, Dallas Baptist). Have you seen all three players? Have any thoughts on where they might stack up with others for the draft? Thanks!
Todd West
The Shockers have a number of guys sneaking up draft boards this spring. Most people are familiar with second baseman Damon Sublett, a likely top-five-rounds pick this June who has continued to rake this season (.393/.460/.542), though he's made just three appearances off the mound. Senior lefthander Noah Krol has seized Sublett's former closer job, going 0-0, 0.82 with five saves and a 14-1 strikeout-walk ratio in 11 innings. He is climbing draft boards thanks to his ability to attack the zone with a good fastball that touches 92 mph, a quality power slider and a good feel for pitching. Banwart might be the first player drafted from Wichita State this spring. The junior righthander has taken firm hold of the Friday starter spot, going 5-2, 1.27 with a 45-10 K-BB ratio in 43 innings, pushing potential 2008 first-rounder Aaron Shafer to Saturdays. Banwart maintains his 88-92 mph fastball velocity throughout games, and his curveball is decent, if not exceptional. With a projectable 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame, he could go as high as the third round in June.
I like Brown even more, and I'm not the only one. Scouts are intrigued by his five-tool potential in a thin crop of college outfielders, and opposing coaches rave about his hard-nosed approach. After his three-hit, two-homer game yesterday, Brown is batting .354/.419/.657 with six homers and 10 stolen bases in 15 attempts.
"Brown has always hit our guys, we'™ve tried everything and nothing seems to work," said one coach whose team has faced the Shockers. "I talk with other coaches that have played them and they act like he'™s an easy out if you just pitch him this way or that way . . . well, I'™m at a loss for that formula. He grades out in all five tools and also plays with great passion. Tough competitor. I'™m pretty sure he made a play in right field a few years ago that ended up on ESPN'™s plays of the year or something. He jumped over a fence and caught a ball in foul territory. So, he definitely plays with reckless abandon."
I wouldn't be shocked if Brown sneaks up as high as the supplemental first round this year, and Krum might not be too far behind him. Krum, who hit for the cycle in Dallas Baptist's 16-3 win against Sam Houston State on Tuesday, is another multi-tooled player, with a strong, compact frame (6-foot, 185 pounds), good speed (10 stolen bases in 11 attempts) and the ability to hit with some authority to all fields. He's now hitting .395/.493/.706 with five homers and 22 RBIs in 119 at-bats, and that's against a quality DBU schedule that has included games against Texas Christian, Texas Tech, St. John's Rice, Missouri State, Houston, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Mississippi State, Fresno State and Oklahoma. The Patriots have acquitted themselves rather well against that slate, going 16-12, and Krum has plenty to do with it.
Thanks to Todd West, the starting shortstop on Texas' 2000 College World Series team, for the question.