94 BRITISH HUSBANDRY. [Ch. VII. 



arranged, whatever may be the nature of the soil on wliich it is under- 

 taken, after the land has been first — as a primary consideration — com- 

 pletely drained and brought into a state of perfect cleanness, should 

 embrace the following rules : — 



To avoid the immediate succession of similar crops — particularly if 

 they be of an exhausting nature — and to throw their return as far 

 distant from each other as circumstances will admit. 



To grow intermediate crops of artificial grass and roots, if the 

 nature of the soil permit, in each year between the crops of corn. 



On soils which admit of the alternate culture, to prefer those green 

 crops which afford the largest prospect of food for live-stock, and 

 which allow of the horse-hoeing husbandry for cleansing the land : 

 and, — 



On heavy soils, or land of any kind which requires rest from crop- 

 ping, never to lay it down to grass until it is clean of weeds. 

 Bearing these principles in mind, the following courses of cropping 

 have been found in most cases to be the best adapted for maintaining par- 

 ticular soils in a state of cleanness and fertility, as well as ensuring an eco- 

 nomical disposition of the farm labour. 



TRIENNIAL ROTATION. 



The mode of cropping, which was anciently practised throughout Europe, 

 was confined to — 



1. Fallow — 2. Winter Corn — 3. Lent Corn, 

 which thus occasioning the constant recurrence of a three-course shift, is 

 called the triennial syatem. When farms contained, as formerly, a large pro- 

 portion of out-pasture and meadow, a sufficient quantity of manure was made 

 by the stock in the straw-yards during winter to afford a tolerable dressing 

 to the fallow, perhaps every third, or, at least, every sixth year ; and thus the 

 land, if naturally good, was maintained in fair condition, and fine crops of 

 grain were produced. It is still partially continued on common-lands of 

 every description ; which, being held under the old tenure of joint tenancy, 

 cannot be cultivated in any other manner, as the tenants in common have 

 the right of pasturage after the crops are off the ground : there are also in 

 some districts strong clays of so wet and heavy a nature, that they only 

 admit of the occasional introduction of an intermediate crop of beans or 

 clover ; and the covenants in many leases require a fallow previous to a 

 crop of wheat. 



This has been much decried by theorists, who, looking to nothing but what 

 they call the '' national benefits of increased produce from the soil," and 

 being unacquainted both with the difficulties and the expenses attendant upon 

 its cultivation, as well as regardless of the result, in point of profit or loss to 

 the farmer, call loudly for a change of system. To enable us, however, to 

 judge soundly of the propriety of any alteration, even supposing the land to be 

 of a quality which renders it practicable, it is necessary to maturely weigh not 

 only the nature of the soil, but also the farmer's means of working it ; for we 

 cannot lose sight of the well-known fact that the large capitals which were 

 lately employed in husbandry, have been very materially reduced, and that 

 men are now very generally compelled to forego many of the advantages 

 which they formerly derived from the pursuit of more spirited plans. 



First, then, the system is economical ; for all its operations are of 

 the most simple kind, requiring nothing but the most unexpensive im- 

 plements and teams of oxen. 



Secondlv, it demands less constant attention to the manao-ement of 



