114 



There is certainly a risk that the above rotation will 

 not keep the land sufficiently clean, on which account it 

 might be advisable, to drill the crops of wheat, and 

 perhaps, instead of wheat, to sow oats after clover. 



Five y tars Rotation. 



Rotations of Jive crops have in many cases been recom- 

 mended both for strong and light lands. 



Above forty-two years ago, John Mackenzie, Esqi 

 of Glasgow, adopted the following system : i Pota- 

 toes ; 2. Wheat ; 3. Grass ; 4. Pasture ; 5. Oats ; a plan 

 which he observes, has not yet been improved upon, ex- 

 cept by keeping a greater number of cows for the dairy. 

 On the subject of cropping, Mr Mackenzie makes the 

 following important observation. Whenever the far- 

 mer discovers that he can be as well paid by cultivating 

 for the use of cattle as for man, and whenever Britain 

 serves herself in butchers' meat, butter and cheese, she 

 will cease to find it necessary to import grain. It is an 

 unimportant queftion to discuss, whether an acre will 

 support more of the human species by grain, or by ani- 

 mal food. The nation which lives most on animal food, 

 will, under a proper system, have more grain than those 

 who live mostly upon it ; this is caused by the increase 

 of manure. Grain, he adds, should never be sown, but 

 when laying down to grass or ploughing from it. 



Mr Boyd of Powis, near Stirling, prefers the follow- 

 ing rotation on a strong carse soil, and he has followed 

 it with much success, for some years past : i. Fallow ; 

 2. Wheat ; 3. Hay ; 4. Oats ; 5. Beans. 



On dry black land, if there is the command of a suf- 

 ficiency of dung, the following rotation of cropping, is 

 recommended by Mr Drummond of West Bank, in the 



