ORGANIZATION OF THE FARM 



of the root crop in this four-course system. Dur- 

 ing the last quarter of the Eighteenth Century and 

 the first half of the Nineteenth, this four-course 

 system gradually replaced the old three-field sys- 

 tem and its bare fallow. The root crops came to 

 be called "fallow crops" because they were looked 

 upon as incidental to the fallowing of the land 

 in preparation for the grain crops. The grains 

 continued, at least until 1875, to be the most valu- 

 able crops. 



Since the fall in the price of cereals, about 

 thirty years ago, the European field-system has 

 been quite upset. Those articles which will not 

 stand long shipment, such as milk, vegetables, 

 etc., prove most profitable, because foreign coun L 

 tries cannot compete so successfully upon the 

 European markets. As a result grain land has, 

 in many instances, been converted into pastures. 

 A good example of this is found in eastern Eng- 

 land where many old wheat fields have been con- 

 verted into permanent pastures for dairy cows. 

 The production of green fodders for cattle has 

 proved relatively more profitable in recent years 

 than formerly. Truck farming has been rapidly 

 developed. In general, the tendency has been for 

 the farmers to disregard all systems of crop rota- 

 tion and produce such crops as will enable them to 

 secure the greatest net profit. Commercial fer- 

 tilizers are generally used, so that it is possible 

 to adjust the chemical content of the soil to the 



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