Suggested Changes of Farming System. 231 



Bowmont, and the rejection of ryegrass, these losses can with 

 certainty be averted. 



The next weak point in the present system lies in the fact that 

 from the use of the shallow-rooting ryegrass, and the absence of 

 deep-rooting plants which can not only aerate, but deeply till and 

 manure the soil, the farmer not only fails to take advantage of the 

 natural resources at his disposal, but fails to take advantage of 

 the stores of plant food which lie at depths below the reach of the 

 plants he now uses. In consequence of the downward filtration of 

 manure, it has been found that the unused subsoil is often richer 

 than the upper soil, which alone is used by the farmer. 



The third weak point in the present farming system is that when 

 a serious drought occurs the farmer is completely at the mercy of 

 the season. In the case of last year's drought, when there was such 

 a general failure of grass, and especially of clover, the Bank field on 

 my farm had a most luxuriant appearance all the season througli, 

 and the results clearly prove that, with the aid of the new farming 

 system, the farmer may regard the worst drought with absolute 

 indifference. The facts are of such importance that I may quote 

 the following passage from my letter published in the Scoismcin, 

 November, 1901 : — 



"The Bank field consists of 27 acres, rather more than half of 

 which is poor, stooy, and exposed, and in some parts very steep 

 land. The remainder consists of fair medium soil for that part of 

 the country. For the last nineteen years 24 acres of ^he field have 

 never been manured, excepting with the artificials used with the 

 turnips. The remaining 3 acres have once — some years ago — had 

 some farm-yard manure, and the seed mixture used, and the reasons 

 for using it, are given on page 95 (2nd edition) of my "Agricultural 

 Changes." It was sown last year with a crop of barley. From 

 October ist, igoo, to October 1st, 1901, the value of grazing and hay 

 obtained was estimated by us at £^ 3s. an acre. Our estimate has 

 been referred to a tenant farmer, who is employed as a valuator, and 

 his estimate comes to rather more— ;^7 7s. 6d. an acre." 



From October 2nd, 1901, to October ist, 1902, the field has been 

 stocked as follows, and I purposely allowed it to be so much later in 

 the autumn and winter than was judicious in order to see how the 

 new mixture would stand the roughest treatment; and the effect of 

 this, as might have been anticipated, has been a decline of the clover, 

 though this seems to be recovering, and there is now an abundant 

 feed of grass in the field, which is still stocked with 60 ewes. The 

 list of the stock is as follows: — 



From October ist, 1901, to December 3tst, 1901, 4 ewes per acre, 



with the assistance of one cartload of either cabbages or 



turnips per day for the field. 



