ROTATIONS TO PRODUCE FOOD 217 



The figures given serve to furnish, in a very effective 

 manner, the difficulties of carrying out the ordinary 

 Ulster rotation, since of the tillage crops in this rota- 

 tion all are sown in the spring time, when due to 

 heavy rainfall, more often than not, for the one dry 

 day, on which men and horses work on the land, 

 there are usually three or four when it is impossible 

 to do so. 



Again, the saving of the two corn crops is crushed 

 into a few days at the end of August, and a few days' 

 wet weather at harvest time means lodged crops and 

 often destroyed crops. 



HUBRYING UP THE HARVEST 



The corn sown under the improved rotation ripens 

 in both cases much earlier than the spring sown corn. 

 The earlier the corn is ripe the less chance there is of 

 it lodging; the greater the amount of sunshine, the 

 lighter the dews, both during, and of still greater im- 

 portance, before corn cutting commences. In the ordi- 

 nary rotation, the land is idle for a period of from 

 six to eight months between every tillage crop. Under 

 the improved rotation the land is never idle. 



Flax is a very important crop from the Ulster 

 standpoint, and for the growth of the crop, a clean 

 stubble is_most desirable. This is obtained in the im- 

 proved rotation by preceding the crop with " winter 

 greens," which smothers the weeds, and which, in 

 addition, leaves the land in a fine, friable and much 

 easier tilled condition for the flax crop. 



It will be noted also that the improved rotation 

 allows of a more even distribution of labour through- 

 out the year. Also that a good portion of albuminous 

 food is grown in the form of vetches and " winter 



