ENGLISH AGRICULTURE. 47 



fine crop of wheat is grown; but on good land it would 

 grow equally well without the two root crops. Now this 

 is a matter less of natural fertility than of what is called 

 condition. The expression is well understood by land agents 

 and by good farmers when it is said that land is in " good 

 condition" or in "bad condition" ; that is, it has suffered or 

 benefited from management to which it has been subjected 

 for several years past. The success of a crop depends 

 upon the condition of the land as much as it does upon 

 natural fertility. While, therefore, we are insensibly pleased 

 with good crops, we must be on our guard about them. To 

 answer a question as to indications of fertility by saying 

 that good crops indicate good land and bad crops indicate 

 bad land is both inexact and misleading. 



Weeds are a very good indication. I have been told that 

 freedom from weeds is a sign of good land, but it is not so, 

 not in the least. How can cleanliness or freedom from weeds 

 be an indication of good land ? It is a mere indication of 

 care on the part of the cultivator. Several sorts of weeds are 

 an indication of goodness in land chick-weed, stinking may- 

 weed, nettles, really big strong milky thistles, the great Scotch 

 thistle growing to a big size and to a great height, are all 

 good indications. I remember in the valley of the Theiss, in 

 Southern Hungary, being struck with the size of the thistles. 

 I saw thistles of such portentous size that the men mowed 

 round them instead of cutting them down. We do not like 

 to see couch, but if it is there, we prefer its being fine and 

 e, strong and vigorous, not wiry, puny, and benty. Poor 

 enty couch, or agrostis alba, canina, or nigra, or others of the 

 grostis tribes, are bad signs on land. There are certain weeds 

 hich are indications of good land or the reverse. There is 

 certain number of weeds which are mentioned as signs of 

 od land, and others which are called signs of bad land; 

 but unfortunately we can generally find the weeds that ought 



to s< 

 larg 

 bem 





