98 FARM MANAGEMENT 



In other districts, where the soil is suitable, 

 such as the Lothians, the growth of potatoes is 

 the staple object of the arable farmer, and 

 appears to pay well, but it is difficult to secure 

 the tenancy of a good potato-growing farm. 



Generally speaking, the farm pupil, if he has 

 not been brought up on a farm, should not take 

 to arable farming, for several reasons. A great 

 deal more has to be learnt within the time 

 available for study than would be the case on a 

 stock-farm, as he has to become a judge not 

 only of stock, but also of crops, soils, tillages, 

 the weather, etc. He has all the risks of loss of 

 stock from disease, and added to this the risks 

 of poor crops due to plant diseases, insects, bad 

 weather, etc. 



In addition to arable farming proper, there 

 is what might be described as stock-farming on 

 light arable farms. This consists of the keeping 

 of sheep on light, hilly, or chalk down land, 

 which usually has a fair proportion of rough 

 grazing attached. The plough-land is kept 

 continually cropped with roots and a wide 

 variety of forage crops ; on these a large head 

 of sheep is folded, and their constant treading 

 and manuring gives these otherwise unfertile 



