ii'ifk Horse {or Steam) Tillarjc. 85 



wlien the ground was too wet and spongy for proj)er working, 

 and by the teams trampling up the wheat in turning at both ends 

 of the field. 



I will add here that my 10-acre plot was by no means favoured 

 with attention, so as to have eaeh operation done in the most 

 suitable weather, no matter what might be the demands of otlier 

 fields upon the farm. Instead of that, it unfortunately had to 

 take its turn when the horses could be best spared from other 

 labours ; and, in consequence, the entries in my memorandum- 

 book complain of the muddy ploughings, mauly subsoilings, and 

 scarify ings, and uj)rooted or plastered-down portions of wheat. 



And now for the practical recommendation arisiiuj out of this 

 experience. Not necessarily to grow four or more wheat-crops in 

 yearly succession on the same land ; for in my experiment you 

 see a principle tried to an extremity, just for the sake of j)roving 

 the productive power of intercultural tillage. Not to introduce a 

 rotation like mine as a pattern to be followed on a large scale. 

 Suppose we take but A couple of wheat-crops together in a 

 THREE-FIELD COURSE, that is, two years wheat, and the third 

 year spring-corn, green crops, or what you please, the straw being 

 returned to the land as manure in this third year. On my field, 

 the produce on this system (as I have shown from what actually 

 was raised on the comparatively exhausted ground) would be, 

 with every degree of probability, 36 to 40 bushels per acre in an 

 average season. Take a low market, say at o^s. per quarter. 

 Then 30 bushels per acre give a return of 8/. 2.9. ; and deducting 

 the low total cost of the crop, hi. 10s., Ave have a balance of 

 21. 12s. per acre for profit and interest of capital. A yield of 

 40 bushels an acre, at the same price, would give a surplus 

 of 3/. lO.y. per acre over the total expenditure. If you reckon 

 upon the more reasonable market-price of 40i'. per c[uarter, the 

 yield of 3(J bushels leaves a profit of 3/. IOa". per acre ; and the 

 yield of 40 bushels leaves a ])rofit of 4/. IQs. per acre. On 300 

 acres arable we should have 200 acres under wheat, producing a 

 nett annual income of 520/., 700/., or 900/., according to which- 

 ever yield and market we met with. No manure being wanted 

 by either year's whcat-c-rop, all the wheat-straw, enriched it 

 you please with cake and corn feeding, would go to manure 

 the remaining 100 acres of crops, — spring -corn, green food, 

 and roots ; and if it is really more profitable to grow food for 

 live-stock than to sow large breadths of bread-corn, under the 

 common mode of management, there can be no doubt that this 

 100-acre portion (with 200 acres of straw manuring it) would 

 account for itself without any heavy deficit of expenditure over 

 proceeds. But this manuring is not all that Avould be in favour 

 of the 100 acres of cropping. Not only is the second year's wheat- 



