Report on the Agriculture of Belgium. 
17 
ciples on which they are based. The courses extend over 
several years, and some previous writers have found them very 
puzzling-, more especially Mr. M'Lagan; while others, like Mr. 
Scott Burn, have been deeply impressed with the philosophy 
which they contain. 
The last-mentioned writer observes * " There is, perhaps, no 
better way of studying what may be called the Philosophy of 
Flemish Farming, than by examining the system of its rotation 
— a system which is founded upon, and derived from, a long 
experience, and which affords a remarkable example of circum- 
stances leading men to a mode of working which fully exempli- 
fies the consistent theory, without the knowledge of the principles 
on which that theory is founded," 
On the other hand Mr. M'Lagan writes f "I could perceive 
no fixed principle on which they founded their constantly 
varying rotations. The same farmer would give me one day 
one rotation, and the next another totally different from yester- 
day's, as the rotation he practised on his farm. * » * * With 
such conflicting statements, and with no prospect of unravelling 
the mystery, I began to solace myself with the thought that the 
Flemings had no such thing as a rotation, that they knew 
the value of a change of crops each year, and therefore they 
practised a succession rather than a rotation of crops. If 
they are rotations it is difficult to tell where they commence and 
where they end ; and they are besides extremely long." He also 
states, " T have been enabled to trace out the few following 
facts : — That wheat and rye almost always succeed potatoes, and 
rye, potato wheat ; the place of flax seems to be after oats 
and before wheat or rye. Clover is sown with any of the 
principal crops. Rape seems to succeed oats or rye." 
We have now to propound an independent explanation, which 
has stood the test of repeated comparisons with our own 
" heterogeneous mass of rotations " obtained after an experience 
similar to that described so well by Mr. M'Lagan. 
In the majority of cases it appeared to us that there was no 
regular course at all, the practice being to sow a certain number 
of crops which follow one another more or less irregularly. 
The ruling idea in the mind of a small farmer is to grow 
exactly what he wants for his own consumption, and for the 
nourishment of his stock ; and to sow the remainder of his farm 
with what will pay him best to sell. He likes to sell as much 
and buy as little as possible. The crops for sale vary with the 
nature of the land, and with the quantity of manure available 
* ' Quarterly Journal of Agriculture,' vol. xxii., p. 217. 1860. 
t 'Quarterly Journal of Agriculture," vol. xv., p. 106. 1845, 
VOL. VI. — S. S. C 
