728 The Use of Soiling Ceovs in General Farming. [Nov., 



at this period there will not be enough pasture for the animals 

 when the grass begins to deteriorate in July, while if the farm 

 is lightly stocked much inferior growih accumulates on the 

 land. It is suggested that a great increase in the stock- 

 carrying capacity of the country could be made by using the 

 grass land to a greater extent for pasture, and devoting the 

 excess of arable land to the cultivation of three of the soiling" 

 crops which have been found suitable at the Harper Adams 

 Agricultural College. These crops may be fed to stock of all 

 kinds on the grass land after the summer flush of grass is over. 

 The three soiling crops referred to are: — 



(1) Crop VII, a mixture of field peas 1 bushel, buckwlieat 

 1 bushel, and rape 4 lb. per acre. 



(2) Crop I. a mixture of giant rye and wintei vetches. 



(3) Crop YI (scL- p. 720).^ 



Crop VII may be sow^n after Crop I, wTiile Crop VI will be off 

 the ground in time for the land to be sown with wheat or rye, 

 for which it is an excellent preparation. A rotation of (1) 

 Crop I, (2) Crop VII, (3) Wheat, (4) Crop VI, could be 

 practised successfully, giving four crops in three years with 

 one-third of the land under wheat. Crops I and VII could be 

 used as green fodder, and Crop VI and the wheat crop allowed 

 to ripen their seed. 



Last year the experiment of planting a second crop on land 

 w^hich had carried a crop of pea and oat hay was tried. Several 

 kinds of hardy kale were tested, Kussian kale proving to be 

 the best for the purpose. The kale plants were ploughed in 

 every furrow early in August, and were not further cultivated: 

 they rooted readily, and continued to grow until November, 

 when growth ceased. The winter conditions were favourable, 

 and the plants commenced to grow again about the beginning 

 of February. In April flowering commenced, the crop being 

 then about 4 feet high. The cows w^ere pastured on the crop 

 and consumed the succulent growth greedily. This plan of 

 grazing off the crop, how^ever, proved to be a mistake, as the 

 land, being of a heavy nature, w^as badly " poached " by the 

 treading of the animals, and difficulty w-as experienced in 

 preparing it for the succeeding crop. On suitable soils, how^- 

 ever, the practice might be w^orth adopting where the pea and 

 oat hay mixture is grown. One drawback to the practice of 

 growing green fodder crops for consumption on grass land is 

 the cost of handling the produce, but this may be greatly 

 reduced by using a mo^ver, instead of the scythe, for cutting the 

 crop, and employing a hay " bogey " with a low platform. 



