TWO TO THREE YEARS’ Lry, 35 
in the autumn, and one hardly knows what to recommend. 
The best advice we think we can give is to let it alone, 
and allow nature to work its course, checking the extraneous 
growth with the scythe at intervals, if such action is considered — 
necessary. 
Two to THREE YrEars’ Ley. 
The growing popularity of two and three years’ ley is, without 
doubt, due to the fact that the alternate growth of roots and 
grain so exhausts the nitrogenous properties of the soil, that 
paying crops cannot be produced without liberal applications 
of manure or other costly dressing. This is further encouraged 
by the increasing expense of labour and the diminishing value 
of produce. 
The subdivision of large farms into small holdings, so often 
advocated by the theorist, is not practically successful, except 
in the neighbourhood of towns; even there it has already been 
overdone, and many an occupier of small holdings ruined 
because the market has been glutted with such stuff as he 
‘produces, or his market has been forced upon him. 
Two years’ ley is happily exempt from this last-mentioned 
disaster, provided the grower can hold his hay. 
On many farms it is customary to keep a one year’s ley 
down for a second year, but this course seldom succeeds 
unless the ley be renovated and strengthened in the autumn 
with suitable dressing ; even then success is not certain. We 
should not recommend the course ourselves, but, if followed, 
great care should be bestowed upon the land so dealt with. 
There is this advantage, that when it is successful, it in a 
measure recuperates the land. 
On a two years’ ley the farmer grazes his stock, often feeding 
them with cake, grain, meals, or other artificial foods highly 
beneficial to the land, and when the sward is turned in and 
