Success of the Clifton Park System. 193 



of agiiculture by the British Government than the fact that it is 

 solely from the want of G-ovemment experimental farms that such 

 a vast injury should have occurred to our soil, for, had they 

 existed, farmers woidd have been duly warned of the evils arisrag 

 from the excessive use of ryegrass, and the immense losses that 

 have ensued from faiUng to acquire atmospheric nitrogen, and the 

 humus to be derived from clover roots, would have been largely 

 averted. In this connection it may be added that, had my system 

 of fanning been pursued, a large proportion of the sums paid to 

 the foreigner for nitrates would have been saved. 



General Success of the System.— This has been shown 

 most conspicuously in the case of the Inner Kaimrig, a field pro- 

 nounced by a very competent judge to be, when I took it in hand, 

 not worth 5s. an acre, and, by the former tenant, the worst field 

 on the farm, a long ridge of it being black moorland soil. And 

 yet tliis field, now (1904) young grass (sown up with a crop of 

 oats in 1903), has this year kept more stock than all the fields of 

 an adjacent farm, the land of which is far superior in quality and 

 situation. These aggregate over 87 acres, while the Kaimrig 

 field is only 25 acres. The field* has never been manured since it 

 was enclosed from the hill about 70 years ago excepting with 

 some artificials for the turnips, and, as shown in the Preface, 

 there is practically no cake fed on the farm. This field has far 

 exceeded my utmost expectations, and is a most valuable practical 

 illustration of what poor, worn-out laud is capable of producing if 

 you clothe it with a deeply- rooted turf which has been built up 

 on a strong leguminous foundation of clover and kidney vetch. 



Next to the Kaimrig hes the East Countridge field, now (1904) 

 in turnips out of grass. Though for the last two years I had 

 successfully growu on a small scale turnips without any manure, 

 this is the first whole field in which I have had the moral courage 

 to grow this crop without manure of any kind excepting turf. 



* From April 13th to July 23rd an average of 2 J ewes with double lambs 

 were kept per acre, besides 20 rams for six weeks. From Aug. 6th to 

 Nov. 1st an average of 4 ewes an acre. From,- Nov. 1st to 20th an average 

 of 2 ewes per acre. The field could have kept much more stock, but we 

 always graze moderately the first year. 



N 



