APPENDIX III 218 



cereals. The dependence of cereal crops on the stock of the 

 farm is not sufficiently recognized, yield per acre being 

 dependent mainly on the fertility accumulated from the 

 application of farmyard manure ; thus an increase in the 

 quantity of dung produced on the farm would almost certainly 

 result in the raising of the average yields of important cereal 

 crops. The condition of food shortage throughout the world 

 and the changed economic standing of this country render it 

 desirable that a new period of intensification of the funda- 

 mental industry should be inaugurated. 



HARPER-AD.\MS EXPERIMENTS 



To test the possibilities of stock farming on arable land, 

 experiments were commenced at the Harper-Adams College 

 in 1909, but owing to the lack of available information on the 

 subject it was not until 191 5 that a system had been worked 

 out which would give a sequence of fodder throughout the 

 summer months, and even then the succession suffered from 

 many imperfections, which, however, have since been 

 removed. The experiment at first aimed only at substituting 

 for grass feeding for dairy cows during the summer months 

 the produce of arable land. The cows were kept indoors, the 

 fodder being carted to the cowshed and fed in specially 

 designed racks, the cows being allowed out for water only. 

 This system of management proved successful, and has been 

 followed in succeeding years with equal success. The cows 

 maintained perfect health and condition, and the yield of 

 milk obtained was quite satisfactory. The success of the 

 summer feeding on arable crops resulted in the experiment 

 being extended so as to embrace the whole year. The system 

 adopted has now stood the test of four years, and may be 

 regarded as sound and reliable as far as the conditions of soil 

 and climate existing in Shropshire are concerned. The 

 system of cropping practised is shown in the following 

 diagrams, eight years being taken U) complete the course 

 of cropping : — 



