Rotations. 
27 
geologist I should be very pleased to receive information which 
would enable me to collate certain rotations of crops or 
systems of cropping to certain geological formations, but these 
seem to have far less influence than climate, latitude, altitude, 
markets, &c., &c. There is, of course, a difference or a suit- 
ability of rotations for light, medium, or heavy soils, but as we 
have examples of these irrespective of geological position I 
am not able to make out a geological system of rotating crops. 
Thus a rotation suitable to stiff land will suit that kind of soil 
whether it is derived from the London clay, the Oxford clay, 
Kimmeridge clay, &c., &c., so long as the other circumstances 
and conditions are similar. 
The conclusion appears to be that special geological forma- 
tions do not seem to require special rotations of crops to suit 
them other than the general influence of light versus medium 
or heavy soils. This result is further complicated by the fact 
that sometimes the same rotation or scheme is followed over 
different classes of soil. Thus some of the correspondents 
intimate that they have several kinds of soil on their farms, 
but carry on the same rotation round all. Of course, if several 
kinds of soil occur in one field convenience may induce one to 
put the same crop over the whole area, and to attempt to 
equalise the different soils by cultivation and manuring. 
From these same returns, however, there appears to be a 
vast preponderance of opinion against any hard and fast rule 
for a succession of crops at all. Many of the writers give a 
rotation on a methodical scheme, but add a note to the effect 
that they do not hesitate to depart from the same when 
occasion arises, while there does not seem to be a hard and 
fast rule insisted on in farm agreements now as there used to 
be formerly. 
The information which was returned to the Committee 
contained many items of interest regarding special or local 
practices, which are more or less interesting and useful, and 
some of these may be here described. 
There are instances where a rotation is not followed for a 
special reason. On some clay farms in the south of England 
there is sometimes a field of lighter texture, which suits better 
for the growth of roots than any other. Under such circum- 
stances the farmer grows mangolds year after year on this same 
field with the best results. Of course this is very “ scourging ” 
on the land, and therefore a heavy system of manuring has to 
be kept up, but good crops are obtained, and the work 
comfortably done because the land suits, while the mangold is 
a plant that can be grown year after year on the same land 
without any disease — such as finger-and-toe in turnips — 
showing itself. 
