198 AGRICULTURE 



or over longer periods, of the particular food 

 plant that it requires. 



It is a matter of observation that rotations 

 vary in character to a greater or less extent 

 in different parts of the country, and it is 

 also found that even on the same farm the 

 rotation adopted may from time to time 

 undergo modifications. The growing scarcity 

 of agricultural labour has not been without 

 influence in shaping rotations, the tendency 

 where labour is scarce, dear, or inefficient, 

 being in the direction of extending the 

 proportion of land under cereals, and notably 

 under grass. The same result will be reached 

 where a farm is situated inconveniently to 

 markets, because, under these circumstances, 

 there is a disposition on the part of the 

 farmer to increase his head of stock, live 

 animals being marketed at less trouble and 

 expense than dead produce, which requires 

 to be carted to its destination. Then, again, 

 some land takes " kindly " to grass, whereas 

 in the case of other land the production of 

 a satisfactory pasture is a matter of heavy 

 outlay and long delay. If, then, a farmer 

 is dealing with land which can be depended 

 on to graze well under a system of three 

 or four years' ley, he will be encouraged 

 to put more of his land under pasture, than 



