THE CULTIVATION uF 1 AUM CROPS. 



ing action of sheep during the fall. For such soils a system of catch-crop- 

 ping is peculiarly suitable. Rye and barley will be found the most suit- 

 able cereals. 



Calcareous soils are favourable to the developmentof those crops which 

 require much limo. Among these may be mentioned the clovers, vetch. > 

 lucerne, peas, and beans. All these leguminous plants are in high favour 

 in limestone districts. 



Peaty soi/.s will grow heavy crops of oats, and are well adapted for the- 

 growth of rape, while they are not suitable for turnips, or mangel. 



Thin soils with rock near the surface, although naturally poor, are ca- 

 pable of growing a capital quality of barley, and are suitable for the win- 

 ter feeding of sheep by folding, where climate allows. 



Deep soils will grow carrots well, and are good for almost any kind of 

 crop. 



All soils are to some degree capable of growing all crops. Therefore 

 we shall rind it advisable merely to modify a rotation according to the 

 leading character of a soil, and by no means to adhere exclusively to the 

 class of crops mentioned as peculiarly suitable. 



Rotation* in practice : The two-years' course being condemned as too- 

 short, led to a three-years' rotation. On good lands it was (1) Wheat, 



(2) Clover, (3) Potatoes, turnips, &c. ; on inferior soils, oats and barley 

 took the place of wheat. This rotation was favourable for cleaning the, 

 land, ami yielded a large quantity of manure ; but the proportion of fal- 

 low crop was too great for economy in working ; and the clover would nut, 

 bear such frequent repetition. 



In -OHM- districts the three-years' course was (1) Wheat, (2) Turnips. 



(3) Spring grain. This was the opposite extreme, as it gave too large a 

 proportion under grain crop; and being found too exhausting on 1; 



, clover was introduced between the spring grain and the wheat, th 

 n-sult lo-jiiir the old standard Norfolk 4-coursr 



1. Wheat. 



2. Turnips. 

 Barley or 0*4 



k ( 'lo\ 



In thU rotation tin- ^iain and L^rcen crop alternate in e.pial proporti- 

 and of t a fallow and therefore a cleaning en >\>, and 



l>oth an- also ameliorating crops. The succession of tin- imps in thU 

 COUi such that tin- whole of the inanniv is made USC of; ti. 



parts of it which are not fitted for mi.- crop, furnishing nourishment 



