98 AGRICULTURE 



usually be sowed until the early part of 

 November, and often much later, and such 

 delay is generally reflected in the yield. 



Careful investigations at Rothamsted and 

 elsewhere have shown that during the season 

 of bare fallow there is a very considerable 

 formation and accumulation of nitrates in 

 the land, resulting for the most part from 

 a-ccelerated nitrification consequent on 

 thorough aeration of the soil during the 

 process of bare fallowing. The superior 

 success of the wheat crop after a bare fallow 

 is probably due to a considerable extent to 

 the abundant supply of nitrates with which 

 it is provided. In respect of this, however, 

 much depends on the character of the weather 

 in autumn, which, if wet, results in serious 

 leaching of the soil, with consequent loss of 

 the nitrates formed during summer. Weather- 

 ing is also facilitated by the process of bare 

 fallowing, the frequent exposure of stones 

 to the atmosphere encouraging their dis- 

 integration. Lastly, it may be mentioned 

 that bare fallowing a field for a season, in 

 place of putting it under a crop of turnips, is 

 one means of combating the disease of finger- 

 and-toe, which may be very prevalent in a 

 crop grown upon any particular field once 

 in four or five years, but which may be 



