266 On the Modifications of the Four-Course Rotation, Sfc. 
On the clay-soils the rotation is — 
1st year .. .. Rape or turnips. 
2Qd „ .. .. t)ats or wheat. 
3rd ,, .. .. Clover. 
4th year . . . . Clover ley. 
5th „ .. .. Oats. 
Gth ,, .. .. Wheat. 
On the peaty-soil of the Carrs 
1st year.. .. Eape or turnips 
2nd „ .. .. Oats. 
3rd .. .. Wheat. 
Or, Gth year Oats. 
7th „ Wheat. 
4 th year .. .. Clover. 
.5th „ .. .. Clover ley. 
Gth „ .. .. Half oats, half wheat. 
The first of these rotations is adopted from the great expense 
and uncertainty attending the turnip-crop on such heavy soils, 
the breadth being thereby diminished to one-sixth ; whilst, on 
the black peaty soil of the Carrs, the liability to " fingers and 
toes " prevents turnips or rape from being sown so often as once 
in four years, and on this land clover is apt to be smothered if 
sown with the first corn-crop. 
On one clay-farm in the same district I found the following 
rotation pursued : — 
1st year .. .. Turnips; fallow. 
2nd „ .. .. Barley; wheat. 
3rd „ .. .. Seeds. 
4th „ .. .. 2nd year's seeds. 
5th „ .. .. Oats. 
Gth year .. .. Wheat. 
7th ,, .. .. Turnips. 
8th „ .. .. Barley. 
9th „ .. .. lied Clover. 
10th „ .. .. Wheat. 
The small additional quantity of feed obtained from the seeds 
is certainly not a sufficient reason for growing oats before wheat 
in the fifth year of this course.* 
The foi-egoing are some of the deviations from the four-course 
system that have come within my own experience or observation, 
and I have endeavoured to point out, as briefly as possible, what 
appear to me to be their principal advantages and disadvantages. 
Amidst all the diversities of soil and climate, and the various 
other circumstances that operate on our choice of crops, it would 
be idle to lay down a universal rule ; but I think we may venture 
to conclude that on light soils, adapted for sheep, it will be gene- 
rally expedient to follow the main features of the four-course 
system, with such variations as may prevent the too frequent 
recurrence of the same crops ; whilst on clay-soils the choice 
will probably lie between a modified four-course and a six- 
course rotation. 
* The extra feed may be the chief inducement on the lands in question ; but 
■with the moist climate and low temperature of some districts wheat following 
immediately after two years' seeds runs too much to straw.— P. H. F. 
33, Ilolford Square, London, Fehruary, 1859. 
