ENGLISH AGRICULTURE. 183 



mean that a certain accumulation both of mineral wealth, and 

 probably nitrogenous and organic matter as well, have taken 

 place owing to the operation of these forces aided by vegeta- 

 tion, and the ground again becomes stocked with available 

 plant-food. That is the natural explanation of the advantage 

 which follows the mere resting of land. 



The next point in advance in the history of rotations of 

 crops is the shortening of the period required in order to 

 recoup the energies of land. The systematic fallowing of 

 land is probably very ancient. It was thoroughly understood 

 by the Phoenicians, and it became a part of Roman agricul- 

 ture, and probably has descended with the succession of civiliz- 

 ation from the Phoenicians to the Egyptians, to the Greeks, 

 the Romans, and then to the later European civilizations. 



The fallowing of land was definitely introduced into this 

 country by the Romans, and it was introduced from this 

 country into Scotland much later. Even in the earlier years 

 of the last century the systematic working of fallows was 

 unknown in Scotland. The most ancient rotation which I 

 know of is that which once obtained over the whole of 

 Europe, and which is stated by a very competent authority, 

 De Morier, to date back to, at all events, as early as the first 

 century of the Christian era. It is the old Teutonic three- 

 field course, well known in German practice by the ancient 

 village communities of the German Empire, and practised to 

 this very day. It consists in the first place of a period of 

 bare fallow, with tilth and tillage of the land, followed always 

 by winter corn, and that again followed by summer corn; 

 fallow, wheat, oats, or it might be fallow, wheat, beans, or 

 the two might be taken alternately, in which case it would 

 assume the form of fallow, wheat, beans, fallow, wheat, oats. 

 This is the old three-field course which Prof. Rogers in his 

 History of Agriculture and Prices states was prevalent over 

 the whole of England in the eleventh century, and it exists 





