170 CONTINUOUS CROPPING 



SOME USEFUL CALCULATIONS 



From the feeding standpoint our summer will be 

 from, say, May ist to October 7th, that is 160 days, a 

 very convenient unit to work by. If we allow an 

 average feed of 8st. of green soiling per day each 

 coUop will consume during the summer 8 tons. There- 

 fore, each acre yielding 20 tons of soiling, we shall have 

 a sufficiency of this food on 8 acres to feed 20 collop. 



Let it be emphasised that 20 tons of green fodder 

 per acre per annum should be regarded as a minimum. 

 It may not be possible to exceed this yield, or even 

 obtain it in the first few years but after a time, in 

 virtue of the greater fertility of the soil, resulting 

 from cropping land on the principle recommended, 

 far heavier yields can be obtained. 



The writer has several times obtained a total annual 

 yield of 25 to 30 tons of rye grass and 25 tons of vetches. 

 If a surplus of these crops is available it can always be 

 converted into hay. 



As previously stated, on our typical 20-acre holding, 

 during the winter months we shall have available 

 36 tons of fodder (vetch hay and clover hay) and 

 160 tons of forage and roots, as well as 24 tons of 

 potatoes, which sold at the moderate price of £2 los. 

 per ton, give £60 to be spent on litter, oats for the 

 horses and concentrates for the cattle. 



THE FEEDING IN AUTUMN 



To continue the feeding throughout the year. For 

 the remaining portion of October, the first winter- 

 green crops, preferably kale or rape sown after the 

 vetches in the second summer of the rotation, will be 

 ready for consumption. These winter-green crops at 

 that time of the year, remote from the flowering stage, 

 can be fed very liberally to cattle, up to 8 st. per day, 



