Experiences up to the end of October, 1904. 147 



farm, and yet it has grazed badly, though it was top-dressed with 

 dung in the autumn of 1899 ; while the Inner Kaimrig had no manure, 

 and the grasses in the Bowmontside field still remain poor and weak, 

 though the pasture has quite closed up at the bottom. Though the 

 season of 1898 was one of drought, and thus unfavourable to the 

 Bowmontside field, much of the unfavourable result is, in ray opinion, 

 to be accounted for by the fact that the aftermath was closely -eaten ; 

 while I took pains to see that, in the case of the Inner Kaimrig, it 

 was lightly grazed, as the land was of such poor quality. In grazing, 

 then, the poorest field on the farm, though unaided by manure, has 

 beaten one of the best, though it was aided by manure. This experi- 

 ence supports that of Mr Knight (vide page 51). 



Effects of ike. System in Preventing Loss from Wash.- On August 

 23, 1900, a most severe thunderstorm raged along the Cheviots, 

 inflicting great damage, and especially in the case of turnip fields, 

 where soil and turnips together were in some cases washed right off 

 the land. In the case of the three turnip fields at Clifton-on- 

 Bowmont, one of which received the water from a steep hard hill 

 above, there was no loss. In the latter case no muddy water left 

 the field. It was all absorbed in consequence of the decaying turf 

 in the field, and rose in the shape of clear water at the foot of the 

 field, running out under the gate for several days. The Harewells 

 field, in 1903 — a very wet year— showed the same results as regards 

 the absence of wash. 



Effects of the System in Abolishing Weeds. — By taking turnips 

 after grass instead of oats, the cereal crops with which farmers begin 

 their cropping rotation, you spring any weed seeds there are in the 

 field, whereas in the case of taking oats after grass the tendency is 

 to plough down, and so conserve both weeds and their seeds. As we 

 take a second turnip crop before laying- down, this, of course, still 

 further cleans the land, so that weeds are abolished by the time we 

 lay down to grass. We then so fully fill the field with grass plants, 

 and fill up every vacancy by re-seeding if necessary, that there are 

 practically no weeds in the pasture, a. fact to which my attention has 

 been called by more than one visitor. 



Effects of Haying Land First Hear. — All our experience proves 

 that if the land is heavily cropped with hay the first year to the 

 extent of from two to three tons an acre, farmyard manure should 

 be applied before winter sets in. If that is not available, apply 

 superphosphate and kainit, but no nitrates, as these encourage the 

 grasses at the expense of the clovers. I have since come to the 

 conclusion that even if farmyard manure is available, it is not 

 advisable, for the sake of the pasture, to have a crop of more than 

 2 tons of hay in good and li in the case of light land, and that thfe 

 crop should be diminished by light grazing in the spring. 



