ENGLISH AGRICULTURE. 141 



progress, and it is well to impress them upon young people, 

 as it may lead them to endeavour to add to the stock of 

 knowledge already handed down. 



Cultivated varieties. This is a very extensive field for 

 inquiry and for instruction cultivated varieties, with all 

 their peculiar adaptation to different soils and different 

 climates. They throw light on a number of biological 

 questions connected with evolution, and with the relation- 

 ships between cultivated plants and wild forms. Besides, it 

 is of great importance to know that there are many kinds 

 of wheat, and many kinds of turnips, and that some are 

 suitable for highly-farmed land, while some are suitable for 

 badly-farmed or exposed weak lands. The variation is 

 endless, and is constantly increasing, and I would impress 

 this section of the syllabus upon teachers as of importance, 

 and as highly suitable for purposes of instruction. 



The place in rotation of any crop you choose to name, say 

 turnips, clover, or beans, is always a subject of interest, and 

 ought to be systematically taught. 



Soils suitable. Students should understand that crops 

 should be suited to the soil. Take the trifolium incarnatum, 

 for example. It will not grow at all upon white chalky soil, 

 whereas it will give a very vigorous and luxuriant produce 

 upon the proper sort of soil> namely, a loamy gravel. It would 



endless to enter upon this subject in detail, but certainly 

 te soil suitable for the different crops opens out questions 

 )f great importance. 



Preparation of the ground. This point we have already con- 

 sidered at some little length, but when the special preparation 

 >r each crop is taken separately, we have before us a large 

 ibject well worthy of the attention both of teachers and 

 budents. 



Period for sowing and methods of solving. Both of these topics 

 most important, and both may be taught to classes. The 



