the Progress of English Agriculture. 819 = 555 
Like every other plan of farming, the system of continuous Continuous 
«rn-growing and selling off the whole of the produce depends coin-growing 
)• success upon practical tact and experience. It requires the 
jlicious spending of money on steam-cultivation, drainage, and 
ner permanent improvements, and a full appreciation of the 
! vantages or disadvantages which such a system may present 
i a particular locality. As an instance of marked success, the 
f perience of Mr. Prout, of Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, may 
1 mentioned. 
Mr. Prout purchased Blount's and Sweetdew's farms in 1861, 
I nprising 450 acres, and situated in the parish of Sawbridge- 
\ rth, about 4 miles from Harlow. The soil, a clay and strong 
1 m, readily poaching and running together if worked wet — 
1 5 upon a subsoil of drift-clay and cretaceous gravel, bordering 
( the chalk and chalk-marl. 
The following are the results of my analyses of three samples 
('soil taken from three separate fields. 
Composition of Soils at Blount's Farm. 
Black Acre. 
Composition of 
the soils of his^ 
farm. 
AVhite Moor. 
uble 
. Acid. 
^Organic matter 
Oxide of iron 
Alumina 
Carbonate of lime 
Magnesia 
Potash 
Soda 
Sulphuric acid 
Phosphoric acid 
^Insoluble sUicates and sand 
•75 
•80 
•39 
•45 
•84: 
•54 
•08 
•08 
•16 
79^91 
100 00 
4-46 
4^29 
4^90 
4-74 
159 
•72 
traces. 
•01 
•12 
79-17 
549 
7-91 
206 
1-80 
•80 
•51 
•16 
•09 
•27 
80-91 
100 00 
100-00 
These analyses show that the three soils are fairly good, but 
1 no means particularly rich in phosphoric acid or in potash. 
\Ir. Prout bought the estate for 33/. per acre — a very moderate Cost of his 
( t for a compact estate in a metropolitan county and only 
: miles from London. By bad management the farm had been 
bught into so low an agricultural condition, that the former 
cner had difficulty in getting a tenant to offer 20s. rent per acre. 
As might be anticipated, a heavy outlay was required before a 
aid return could be expected from such a property. About 
. per acre was expended in draining, cutting outfall ditches, 
ibbing up and levelling old fences, making roads, adding to 
1 repairing buildings, and fallowing foul land. Mr. Prout 
