498 Report upon the Liverpool Prize-Farm Competition 
green crop thus intervenes), and then sow the land with barley ! 
These antique documents were framed in days when rents 
were 100 per cent, below those of the present time, and when 
the aids or appliances to agriculture were most limited. The 
practice of agriculture has changed as much as, or even more than 
the practice of medicine or any other scientific or practical pur- 
suit (I can remember when both men and horses were frequently 
bled nearly to death). No greater change has taken place in 
our weapons of warfare than in our agricultural implements 
and machinery, especially in regard to the utilisation of steam. 
All kinds of green crops were formerly of comparatively little 
value, and very high protective duties caused farmers to depend 
entirely upon the cereal crops for livelihood and rent. But these 
days have gone by. The agriculture of this country is now in 
competition with the world. The speed of an express train might 
as well be limited to the rate per mile of an old stage-coach as 
to bind the agriculture of present times to the systems of the 
past. A brief, but at the same time binding, letter of lease 
should be granted to some such effect as this : — " I let you my 
land (making, of course, such reservations in regard to game or 
mines, or liberty to replant or re-occupy, which are all matters 
of agreement between landlord and tenant), but you may crop 
your land in the manner you find most remunerative to your- 
self ; only the condition of the farm must not be deteriorated, 
otherwise your tenure will cease and damages be claimed." Any 
one looking over the cropping of the farms mentioned in this 
Report must be struck with the very small amount of green-crop, 
especially turnips, grown on most farms. It is a well-ascer- 
tained fact that a turnip contains over 90 per cent, of water, and 
the question arises, What is the value of the remaining 10 per 
cent, of its constituents compared with other feeding substances ? 
Of course, a large breadth of turnips is necessary for a proper 
cultivation of the soil in many districts, and on a good crop 
depends the success of a rotation ; but it is a mistake to enforce 
their cultivation in every district. The great question is, How 
to make a farm pay the rent and yield most profit to the occu- 
pant," and at the same time increase its fertility ? This can 
only be done by high farming. There was not a farm entered 
for the competition which did not illustrate this, although they 
embraced every variety of soil, viz., in Cheshire, Altrincham 
and Lynn ; in Lancashire, Ormskirk, Linacre, Sefton, Aigburth, 
Halewood, Bold, Warrington, and Croxteth. As already men- 
tioned, a uniform system of rotation is adopted in most of 
these farms, viz., roots, wheat, barley or oats and seeds, which 
generally lie three years. The old system used to be to break 
up the grass for oats, then summer fallow ; 3rd wheat, then 
