Preface to the Third Edition. xvii. 



of artificial manures, the decadence thus caused is 

 steadily continuing. And the farmer expects that 

 foreign competition may be met by ever augment- 

 ing bills for purchased fertilizers, which will cause 

 the soil still, further to decline in fertility, while 

 the agricultural chemist, aided by the manure 

 merchant, is emptying his pockets, and at the 

 same time enabling the farmer to run out the 

 remaining fertility of the soil. When, some 

 months ago, I told a very old and experienced 

 practical farming friend that I proposed to grow 

 a fine crop of turnips without the aid of any 

 manure he laughed in my face, and evidently 

 thought the assertion the best joke he had heard 

 for some time; yet this has been done, and on 

 land that never has had any farmyard manure, and 

 the previous turnips of which had only received 

 some artificials. With reference to the successful 

 growing of crops without any other manure ex- 

 cepting that of a turf grown on the spot, and 

 consisting of deeply-rooting plants, combined with 

 a full supply of the leguminosse, the correspondent 

 previously quoted writes as follows : — 



" There is one point which always strikes me, as also many- 

 others when visiting OHfton from time to time, and that is the 

 remarkable fact of seeing such crops from year to year [the 

 farm has now been in the proprietor's hands for 17 years] when 

 so much breeding stock is raised and sold of£ the place, and so 

 little feeding stuffi consumed — ^practically none. I know of no 

 other secondary arable farm in this country farmed on the old 



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