LEASES AND YEARLY TENANCY. 77 



In some parts of England a two and sometimes a three course rotation 

 of cropping is carried out on strong soils. In the first place, I shall 

 illustrate the plan adopted of following out a two-course shift or rota- 

 tion, and will suppose that we have a farm to deal with to the extent of 

 400 acres ; then the course would be the first year, 200 acres under a 

 crop of wheat, with a heavy application of manures, and the remaining 

 extent of 200 acres is put under a crop of beans without manure. The 

 following year the cropping is just reversed that which was under wheat 

 is sown with beans without manure, and that which was under beans 

 is sown with wheat, with a liberal application of manure; and so on 

 each year alternately, the land receiving an application of manure each 

 second year when the wheat is sown' down. A farm of this description 

 requires to have a proportion of permanent grasses to provide hay for 

 winter feeding of the stock A large quantity of manure is made on the 

 farm, using the hay, straw, and beau-stalks as food for the stock, and 

 also using straw as litter. It requires soil with some substance in it to 

 bear this frequent cropping. It is not often found in practice only 

 where the land is very strong. 



A farm of 400 acres under a three-course rotation would be laid out 

 as follows: 



Acres. 



/ Turnips, .... 50 



J Potatoes, .... 5 



First year Green crop, . . -x g^^ .... 35 



Fallow, .... 40 



f Wheat, ... 100 



Second year Gram crop, . -j TW1o , r ' 35 





f Hay crop. ... 60 



Third year Grass, . . . 1 \ 



[ Pasture, .... 75 



400 



This rotation is, on the whole, an easy rotation for the soil, especially 

 when the green crops are liberally manured and the soil well opened 

 out. 



The two and three course rotations are adapted only for very stiff clay 

 soils with a good stamina in them. 



The four-course rotation is adapted for clay soils not 'too stiff, but it 

 is not suited for light soils. Light soils are very much benefited by 

 having a part under grass, and therefore the five or six course shifts 

 are best suited for that class of land. On* very light soils the six- 

 course rotation is by far the best, as the land is allowed to lie under 

 grass for three years ; and this rotation is an excellent one for keeping 



