246 
Tlie Fast Agricultural Year. 
efiects of tins winter. Pome of niy neighbours were equally unfortunate. I 
believe larms exposed to the north and north-east suffered most. 
My dairy of sixty cows lived in yards on straw, with cake, and a few 
roots, or a run out by day on some rough pasture, and did well and calved 
all right. 
Horses had an easy time of it. Some days during the hard weather they 
were not out ; but two or three were nearly constantly employed carting 
roots to the sheltered spots and leeward hedges for the sheep. 
2. As to the crojis af the farm. My system of cropping is the seven-field ; 
viz. 1. Wheat; 2. Barley; 3. Roots, preceded by Italian rye-grass, rye, winter 
barley, trifolium or vetches in succession ; 4. Koots, rape, or kale ; 5. Corn, 
chiefly wheat with clover seeds ; G. Clover, mown for hay ; 7. Clover. 
Wheat was all sown in October and November, but it made little growth 
all the winter ; in fact, much of the wheat-land looked like a bare fallow. 
The plant was always thin, but I do nut think much was killed by frost. 
On very light chalk-land it was sown after the presser, and consequently was 
well buried. In March, which was fortunately a dry month, it was rolled, 
well harrowed, and rolled again ; and ultimately looked far better than I 
ever expected. The surface filled up, except in some spots, and the ears were 
a good size. 
Barley, chiefly after wheat-stubble (which was smashed up after harvest, 
and well worked and cleaned in the spring) was well put in, except on strong 
land, which should have had an extra ploughing if fine weather could have 
been insured. Even that was well pulverised by the frost and had a good 
surface ; but the quantity of rain in June (nearly 6 inches) was a great 
injury to the barley, making it look very yellow ; and the flag became stnick 
with rust and blighted. 
Oats were generally good ; the wet season has suited them. 
Clover afforded a fair cut, though led late. All hay was more or less 
damaged. 
We now come to the all important root-crop. I sow about 200 acres of 
the various kinds, for feeding in succession ; and my system gives nearly half 
this quantity after a previous root-crop. This enables me to get the laud in 
order without much trouble, and to drill mangold, rape, or kale, as soon as 
barley sowing is completed. My land this year was therefore prepared, and 
the bulk of the crop got in before the heavy rains of June and the beginning 
of this month ; and consequently I had a capital plant of all kinds, each 
made vigorous growth ; and a good part of the hoeing was done. The early 
part of the season the fallows worked exceedingly well, thanks to the frost; 
and none of my crops suffered from turnip-fly or wire-worm. 
I will only add that I have a great variety of soils ; some very light, on 
gravel and sand, some strong clay with large flints ; but the greater portion 
of my farm is a chalky loam, not very deep, with chalk subsoil; and being 
naturally dry, I was not impeded in my work by the wet spring to any great 
extent. 
PiicHAKD Genge.' 
A succession of local reports, each of which possesses some 
special interest, is more likely to be studied than a formal essay 
would be, in which the general result extracted from them might 
be presented to the reader. These reports have therefore been 
given separately ; and there only remains the task of pointing 
out a few of the more important lessons which they seem to 
teach. In the first place, it must be acknowledged that even the 
