150 Experiences up to the end of October, 1904. 



more extensive occupations." Now that a perfectly clean pasture, 

 undisguishable from old grass, can be created under my system of 

 farming in four or five years, it seems to me that the whole subject 

 should be reinvestigated, and especially with reference to laying down 

 clay lands to grass, when it would be desirable to create a strong turf 

 as soon as possible, in order to lessen the puddling of the land from 

 the tread of stock. After inoculation such clayey lands might be 

 sown with chicory and burnet in order to insure the land being kept 

 open, and if some seeds of the larger grasses were sown in addition, 

 a turf closely resembling old pasture could be created in about two 

 years. 



Siiccess of the System as regards Crops, Stock, and Cultivation. — 

 Lord Leicester (vide page 18) found that he could produce better 

 crops on poor land without manure than he could produce on good 

 land under the old four-course system, if only he laid the former 

 down to grass for a period of not less than six years, and, after 

 ploughing up, began his rotation with turnips. This gave time for 

 the turf to rot, and then he was sure of a good crop of corn the 

 following year. My experience is the same as Lord Leicester's, but, 

 as I have explained (page 19), I feel sure that, with the mixtures I 

 suggest, a much better turf can be produced in four years than could 

 be produced in six years with the mixture used by Lord Leicester. 

 The period he requires — a minimum of six years — is, if my mixture 

 with deep-rooting {flants be used, longer than is necessary, and, so 

 far as our experiences go, would not be as suitable for a tenant- 

 farmer. I need hardly say that all views on this point must be 

 formed in accordance with the circumstances of each particular 

 locality- i.e. a. longer period under grass may suit some districts and 

 a shorter one other localities. 



Effect of System after Ploughing the Second Turf. — Though the 

 advantages of the system are at once apparent, it is not till the 

 second turf is ploughed up that the immense effect of plant roots as 

 tillers of the soil is fully apparent. The first turf does much, of 

 course, in the way of ameliorating the soil and adding to its bulk ; 

 but the ease with which the second turf is ploughed up, and worked 

 for turnips, shows a complete amelioration of the physical condition 

 of the land, the cause of which is at once apparent when, on closer 

 inspection, you find it to be interpenetrated with rootlets and 

 vegetable matter in various stages of decay. It is now a good nest 

 for plants, and the results of this are apparent all along the line, on 

 the turnips, oats, grass, and the hay crops, while a great improvement 

 takes place in the health of the stock — partly from the plants used 

 (some of which, like burnet and yarrow, have a proved good effect 

 on the health of sheep), partly from the variety of food existing in the 

 pasture, and partly from the land being in a more healthy condition, 

 as a deeply-aerated soil, well supplied with humus, at once dries up 

 quickly after rain, and yet maintains itself in a, suflicieutly moist 



