74 FARMING ON FACTORY LINES 



to enable them to store in the soil a good supply of 

 this potent and otherwise expensive fertiliser, for the 

 succeeding crop. 



The possibility of obtaining cheap nitrogen in the 

 manner indicated has long been known, but only a 

 few agricultural authorities, and still fewer farmers, 

 have realised it, or at least applied this knowledge 

 to farming practice on anything approaching an 

 extensive scale. 



WHY IT IS LESS RISKY 



The feature of the modified rotation of special 

 importance is, that not only is such a rotation likely 

 to be profitable, but the- rotation is practicable. It is 

 practicable from the standpoint of labour and climate, 

 and what is of equal importance, is far less risky 

 than the usual system of cropping. 



To elaborate the foregoing claims at the risk of 

 repetition, a close study of the usual rotation followed 

 in the district will show that, in practice, with the 

 exception of winter-sown wheat, all the crops have 

 to be sown in spring-time, under what are usually 

 atrocious weather conditions. Some preparation of 

 the land before spring-time is possible, such as the 

 ploughing of the lea and stubbles. This latter work, 

 though in actual practice, is often only theoretically 

 possible; and tt ) same may be said as regards the 

 sowing of winter wheat. 



In winters like the past — and how many such 

 winters have we had in recent years! — access to all 

 except the lightest of land, except for lea ploughing, 

 has been well-nigh impossible. Throughout these 

 countries generally, from early October, when wheat- 

 sowing is, in theory, being proceeded with, to the 



