Suggested Changes of Farming System. 179 



applications of farmyard manure, well supplied with humus, there is 

 no reason why he should not at once use the expensive Bank field 

 mixture ; but if his land is in poor condition he should, I think, use 

 the appended mixture for the first rotation, as he would then avoid 

 the risk of putting down an expensive mixture with the soil in poor 

 condition. I began my farming at Clifton-on-Bowmont in 1887 with 

 the following mixture : — 



At a cost of £1 2s 5d per acre : 

 my object being to fill the land with vegetable matter at the smallest 

 expense. This was used for the Front and Bowmontside fields, and 

 the results have proved very satisfactory. In consequence of the 

 steep stony nature of the land 4 acres of the latter field were left in 

 permanent pasture, and, as such, have always done well. Where 

 timothy suits the soil and climate it may be added to the mixture, 

 and the cocksfoot may be lessened. The quantity of clover now 

 seems to me to be excessive, and in recent years I have never used 

 more than alsike 1 lb., white clover 2 lb., and late-flowering red 

 clover 2 lb., a quantity which may still further be reduced, as I have 

 obtained excellent results with a total of 3 lb. of clovers per acre. 

 The mixture I would now recommend as the cheapest to be advised, 

 and which is suitable for two or a greater number of years, and is 

 also fairly well suited to permanent pasture, is as follows : — 



Lb. 



Late-flowering Red Clover ... 2 



White Clover 2 



Chicory ... ... ... ... 3 



Lb. 



Cocksfoot 14 



Hard Fescue* 2 



Rough-stalked Meadow Grass 1 



Alsike Clover 1 



Where the land is suitable for timothy 3 lbs. of it may be added, and 

 the cocksfoot reduced to 12 lb. I may add that in recent years, in 

 consequence of the greatly-increased use of the grasses and plants 

 recommended by me, they have much gone up in price, the Bank 

 field mixture in 1890 costing £1 19s 5d, while it cost last year 

 £2 28 6d, and this year £2 98 lOd ; but I am informed, on good 

 authority, that prices will again fall when the attention of seed 

 growers is directed to the subject. 



When the natural grasses are used alone, or with but a very small 

 quantity of ryegrass, it is important to note that the clover never 

 fails, even though there may be an almost universal failure of clover 

 in cases where ryegrass alone is used, or with only a small quantity 

 of natural grasses ; and though the Clifton farm was in poor condition 

 when I took it in hand, we have never had anything but complete 



* It has been suggested to me by Mr. Hunter of Chester, that up to 700 feet 

 meadow fescue would be more suitable than hard fescue, and he points out that the 

 former will be oheapei next season (7d to Sd per lb.), but it should be remembered 

 that the latter is a much more drought-resisting grass, 



