200 AGRICULTURE 



instance, if cruciferous crops recur upon the 

 same land, even at intervals of four or five 

 years, they are often so affected by the 

 disease of finger-and-toe that it becomes 

 necessary to make arrangements for a much 

 wider interval between consecutive crops 

 of this family. Red clover, too, often 

 presents similar difficulties ; and leguminous 

 crops generally, if they follow each other 

 too closely, are found to contract some form 

 of " sickness," which in ordinary practice 

 can best be circumvented by modifications 

 in the rotation. 



The most primitive rotation, if indeed it 

 merits such a term, is that which was practised 

 under the old system of village communities 

 that at one time prevailed in this country, 

 and at a more recent period on the Con- 

 tinent. Under this system the land was 

 annually cropped with wheat, or some other 

 cereal, receiving no manure beyond what 

 was dropped by the flocks and herds which 

 grazed on the stubbles during autumn and 

 early winter. When the produce of the land 

 deteriorated to such an extent as to return 

 little beyond the seed, the cultivated area 

 was abandoned and allowed to revert to 

 weeds, which ultimately formed a rough 

 pasture ; and as nothing was withdrawn 



