in  its  Effect  on  Cultivation. 
5.3 
1.  Grass-seeds. — Cut  to  hay  or  soiled,  the  after-grass  depastured.  About 
the  first  week  in  February  the  land  is  ploughed,  and  as  soon  as  the 
weather  will  permit,  sown  with 
2.  Black  Oats. — 2£  cwt.  of  guano  is  sown  per  acre,  and  the  average 
produce  is  40  bushels.  After  harvest  the  land  is  ploughed  and  lies 
tallow  through  the  winter.  About  the  first  week  in  April,  if  in 
condition,  half  is  sown  with  rape  and  mustard  mixed ; the  other 
half  is  sown  with  rape  at  different  periods  for  a succession,  thus 
forming  the  next  course  of 
0.  Rape  and  Mustard. — The  mustard  comes  to  stock  three  weeks  before 
the  rape  ; the  whole  is  manured  with  artificial  manure,  and  eaten 
on  the  land  with  sheep.  One  ploughing  with  muck,  and  the  whole 
is  sown  with 
4.  Wheat. — The  Old  Cornish  White  ; the  average  produce  24  bushels 
per  acre  ; 62  lbs.  per  bushel.  Immediately  after  harvest  the  land 
is  ploughed ; half  lies  fallow  for  early  turnips,  half  is  sown  with 
winter  vetches,  which  is  a stolen  crop  eaten  off  with  sheep ; the 
whole  is  tilled  with 
5.  Turnips. — Manured  with  bone  and  phosphate,  and  drilled  with  field- 
ashes,  kept  dry  through  the  winter.  The  crop  is  folded  with  sheep, 
and  the  whole  goes  to 
6.  Barley. — Red  clover  and  Italian  rye-grass  are  sown,  which  begins 
the  course  again. 
About  120  acres  of  light  land  are  kept  in  this  rotation  : near  the 
homestead  some  better  land  is  worked  on  the  alternate  system  ; 
after  wheat,  turnips,  and  barley,  it  is  laid  down  to  pasture  for  some 
years,  and  receives  a liberal  grain- dressing  from  the  dung  arising 
from  the  green  crops. 
The  ease  with  which  these  crops  follow  in  succession,  with  the 
little  working  which  the  soil  requires,  after  being  once  cleaned,  is 
an  excellent  point  in  this  rotation  ; to  use  Mr.  Gatley’s  own  expres- 
sion, “ The  system  tills  itself.”  It  is  generally  admitted  in  the 
West  that  the  barley  crop  is  not  so  good  after  turnips  as  after 
wheat ; this  mainly  arises  from  the  fact  that  the  turnip-land  is 
poached,  and  is  left  unploughed  until  dry  weather  in  spring  so 
hardens  the  soil  that  it  cannot  be  reduced  to  a proper  tilth  ; 
Mr.  Gatley  has  obviated  this  by  early  ploughing,  and  by  the  use 
of  Crosskiil’s  patent  clod-crusher. 
This  rotation  has  all  the  benefit  of  the  fodder  and  roots  of  the 
four-course,  avoids  the  too  frequent  repetition  of  wheat,  which  it 
precedes  by  rape,  and  appears  admirably  adapted  to  raise  the 
agriculture  of  the  West. 
The  effects  on  Mr.  Gatley’s  farm  are  as  follow : — 
Old  System.  Improved. 
Store  Ewes  kept  . 
70 
120 
Calves  reared 
8 
20 
Stock  of  cattle 
50 
80 
Cattle  fed  per  year 
. 12  or  15 
50 
It  is  only  by  the  introduction  of  such  a system  as  this,  with 
minor  variations  to  meet  local  climate  or  soil,  that  the  agriculture 
