CONTINUOUS CROPPING 



CHAPTER I 



THE NORFOLK v. A CONTINUOUS-CROPPING 

 ROTATION 



One of the greatest arguments against farming on the 

 ordinary Hnes is that at least 80 per cent of the cropping 

 and the cultural operations are confined to spring-time. 

 Spring-time over a large area of these countries might 

 well be described as the rainy season. From, say, Feb- 

 ruary 1st to May ist, for one day on which a farmer can 

 work on any except the lightest soils, there are often 

 three or four days, due to heavy rainfall, of enforced 

 idleness. In fact, the ordinary farmer, working on the 

 Norfolk system, or some modification of it, pretty well 

 spends his spring-time between trying to till and "tap- 

 ping the glass." 



THE NORFOLK ROTATION 



The Norfolk system, with its modifications, consists 

 chiefly of corn and root growing. 



Extensive corn growing in the sixties was all very 

 well when wheat was at a consistent price of 60s. 

 and 70s. per quarter, farm wages not more than one- 

 half what they are now, and casual labour abun- 

 dant. Climate and labour difficulties were then no bar. 

 With the then remunerative prices for all farm pro- 



15 



