1 8 THE LANDED INTEREST. 



rational system of farming. The four-course 

 system of alternate corn and green crops 

 wheat, turnips, barley, clover had two great 

 advantages, first, by alternating restorative and 

 cleansing crops with corn ; and second, by 

 regular distribution of labour throughout the 

 year. The introduction of guano, nitrate of 

 soda, and other ammoniacal and phosphatic 

 manures, has now rendered the farmer compara- 

 tively independent of this alternate system of 

 cropping. As the supply of nitrate is believed 

 to be capable of lasting for a very long period, 

 we may hope for its continuance at a moderate 

 Use to price. It might become an instrument of great 



which this 



might be national value if any unforeseen occurrence should 



put in time 



of war. cu t off one of our main supplies of wheat, that of 

 Russia, for example. If only the twentieth part 

 of the corn land of the United Kingdom were 

 called on to bear an additional wheat-crop, the 

 loss would be at once made good, and with no 

 perceptible strain on our agricultural system. 

 If all Europe were shut against us, we should be 

 quickly able to meet the increased home demand 

 by double cropping to the extent of one-tenth 



