n6 YORKSHIRE ARABLE FARMING 



need of liming, though the chalk rock underlies all 

 the country, but at too great a depth to be exposed. 

 The farms all run comparatively large, from 300 acres 

 to 800 acres ; the buildings are extensive, but not 

 in particularly good order ; being brick, they have 

 perhaps a meaner appearance than they deserve. 

 Wheat is the crop of the country, and everywhere 

 promised some of the heaviest yields we had seen 

 during our tour; it had, moreover, entirely lost the 

 dirty aspect which characterized all the corn on the 

 rich lands farther south, and was generally standing 

 erect with bright clean straw and ears just touched 

 with the first gold of harvest. The farmers follow 

 no very strict rotation ; but, roughly speaking, two 

 corn crops are grown and then one year of fallow 

 succeeds. This is really the old English three-field 

 system, the earliest of all rotations, adapted to modern 

 practice. The wheat is followed by barley, and on 

 crossing the Humber one leaves behind the narrow- 

 eared barleys, like Chevallier and Archer, their place 

 being taken by wide-eared varieties of the Goldthorpe 

 type. It is true that a good deal of Chevallier barley 

 is still grown in Scotland, there being a demand in 

 the south for seed barley of Scotch origin, but 

 speaking very generally the wide-eared sorts are better 

 adapted to strong or elevated soils and cool climates. 

 After the barley, peas or beans are very commonly 

 taken, or a portion of the area may be given a 

 summer's bare fallow ; wheat and barley then come 

 round again, after which the land is divided between 

 turnips and seeds. Red clover can only be successfully 

 grown about once in twelve years ; usually a mixture 

 of alsike and white clover is sown, and as in Lincoln 

 gives rise to excellent temporary pastures. Mangolds 

 are but little grown, and among the corn crops a 



