650 



The Elliot System of Farming. 



[NOV., 



The Board have recently made arrangements for the 

 continuation of the experiments on the laying down of land 

 to grass which have been carried on for 



The Elliot System many years by Mr. R. H. Elliot at 

 of Farming. Clifton-on-Bowmont, near Kelso.* As 

 the farm on which they were conducted 

 has recently been let to a tenant, there was some danger that 

 the experiments would be brought to a conclusion, but in con- 

 sideration of a small annual grant the tenant has agreed to 

 continue the essential features of Mr. Elliot's system of farm- 

 ing, and to allow agriculturists to visit and inspect the farm. 



Clifton-on-Bowmont is situated at the foot of one of the 

 spurs of the Cheviot Hills, a portion of the farm running up 

 to an elevation of 500 feet, or thereabouts. The soil is poor, 

 very stony, and liable to deteriorate unless skilfully managed. 

 Owing to its dryness it suffers severely from drought. Since 

 in these circumstances there is great difficulty in getting a 

 tenant, in 1887 Mr. R. H. Elliot took the farm under direct 

 management, and resolved to carry out a series of experiments 

 in order to determine the most suitable system of farming to 

 be followed. The first and obvious requirement was to 

 obtain a drought-resisting herbage. After many trials Mr. 

 Elliot eventually devised a mixture which he claims possesses 

 special advantages for the soil and climate of the farm. 



This mixture differs from ordinary seed mixtures in that 

 perennial Rye-grass is replaced by Cocksfoot, while it con- 

 tains the seeds of a number of drought-resisting plants, such 

 as Yarrow, Kidney Vetch, Chicory, and Burnet, not ordinarily 

 found in grass mixtures. The composition of the mixture is 

 not always the same, but the following may be taken as 

 typical : — Cocksfoot 14 lb., Tall Fescue 7 lb., Tall Oatgrass 

 7 lb., Rough-stalked Meadow-grass 1 lb., late flowering Red 

 Clover 2 lb., White Clover 2 lb., Alsike 1 lb., Burnet 8 lb., 

 Kidney Vetch 3 lb., Chicory 3 lb., Yarrow 1 lb., at a cost (in 

 1900) of £1 igs. $d., or (in rc/11) of about £3 per acre. Mr. 

 Elliot is of opinion that the benefits resulting from the use 

 of these plants are due to their deep-rooting habit; he also 



* An article by Mr. R. H. Elliot on this subject appeared in the Journal, Vol. VIII, 

 Dec, 1901, and an account of experiments on similar lines at Abbotsley was pub- 

 lished in the issue for Nov., 1905, Vol. XII. 



