THE FIRST AND FUNDAMENTAL PEINCIPLE IX AGPJCULTUHE. 11 



this soil had been blown from the rocks by strong gales of wind, 

 consequently devoid of vegetable matter, and is much the worst 

 paying land on the farm ; indeed, it appears as if it were impos- 

 sible to bring it up to a paying condition, the effect of byre dung 

 and other manures on it only lasts about four years when it is 

 clean gone. Such land would make a capital experimental 

 station for trying the capabilities of different kinds of manures. 



I would now direct attention to the American system of culti- 

 vation. I learn that when veo'etable matter becomes reduced be- 



o 



low a paying quantity in the soil they do not resort to purchased 

 manures for a supply of nitrogen, but remove the establishment 

 to a new supply of this fertiliser in shape of vegetable matter 

 from virgin soil, showing clearly which of the two they consider 

 the cheapest source of supply. The principle of cheap nitrogen 

 is here brought to the front, and the problem solved by the selec- 

 tion of vegetable matter as against purchased manures. No doubt 

 much of the vegetable matter in America could be improved in 

 quality, but the quantity at their command is so overflowing that 

 quality has not yet come to be a consideration. The Shetland 

 people have also solved this problem in their practice in favour 

 of vegetable matter, but by a different method from that of the 

 Americans. They carry on to a portion of their arable land 

 yearly a certain quantity of vegetable matter of the best quality 

 they can find ; and I have been a w^itness for nineteen years to 

 see crops raised by neighbours, by the application of vegetable 

 matter alone, that would astonish farmers in any part of the 

 country. I speak within bounds when I say that twenty-five 

 tons an acre of turnips is not above an average crop, and this, 

 be it noticed, is produced without manure of any kind having 

 been applied to the turnip crop. The manure was applied the 

 previous year to the corn crops, and farther, this land never at 

 any time received sixpence worth of purchased manures ; not 

 even lime. And what is still more remarkable, this land has 

 been under continuous cropping for an unknown period of time. 

 We have here the clearest proof of the value of vegetable matter 

 as a fertiliser, and proof also that rest is not essential to the 

 production of full crops of both turnips and grain, and that 

 vegetable matter alone, if supjilied in proper quantity and quality, 

 will uphold land in the highest state of fertility under continuous 

 cropping for an unknown period. Thus I claim to have solved 

 the problem, the title of this essay, that the first and funda- 

 mental principle in agriculture is to preserve and uphold a paying 

 (juantity of vegetable matter in the soil. It must have been the 

 misunderstanding of this great principle that caused our rotation 

 system to be indiscriminat(ily enforced under all circumstances. 

 And this system, combined with the use of special manures, the 

 effects of which has also been misunderstood, has had a baneful 

 effect upon the agriculture of this country. 



