46 
Continuous Corn Growing. 
Accordingly talcing even the worst view of the case, and at 
a time when both yield per acre and prices were considerably 
below the average, it will be seen that wheat and barley both 
continued to yield a profit ; barley, it is true, only just paid 
its way, but wheat gave a fair return. As before, it must be 
remembered of course that the result was only attained by 
the help of the sale of the straw. 
It is evident, however, that so long as Mr. Prout can 
continue to grow anything over 32 bushels of wheat and 35 
bushels of barley, and that prices do not fall below 28s. for 
wheat and 26s. for barley, he may expect to pay his way 
comfortably ; while anything above this, either in respect of 
increased yield or enhanced prices will yield him a good 
profit. 
In this way we have, we think, been able approximately to 
fix the limits of profitable working of the system of continuous 
corn growing under such circumstances as obtain at a farm like 
Mr. Prout’s. 
It will be observed, on reference to the Table giving the 
expenditure on manures (page 44), that the cost has been 
materially reduced in the years since 1890. This gives an 
additional reason for basing calculations on the later years, and 
not merely, as was done in Mr. Prout’s general summary, on 
the average of the whole twenty-five years. In the earlier 
years of the series it is clear that the cost of manuring con- 
siderably exceeded the 11. 5s. per acre set out on pages 40 and 
41, and adopted in the subsequent calculations. 
Chemical Aspects. 
The soil of Blount’s Farm is described generally as being 
a mixed one of clay and strong loam on a subsoil of drift clay 
and cretaceous gravel, and, geologically considered, it belongs 
to the lower division of the Eocene formation and bordering 
on the chalk. The soil is, however, by no means uniform over 
the whole farm, and considerable variations will be found even 
in one and the same field. There are some variations in colour, 
but the chief differences occur in respect of the depth of the 
clay subsoil and the nearness of the chalk to the surface, this 
causing differences in the amount of chalk and in the propor- 
tions in which flint stones are found in the first foot or so of 
the soil. Agriculturally considered, the soil is one essentially 
adapted for wheat growing, as also for beans ; but it is of too 
heavy a character to grow a high-class barley. 
Samples of the soil of three different fields — Broadfield, 
Blackacre, and White Moor— were taken in 1865 and submitted 
to chemical analysis by the late Dr. Voelcker. In 1877, twelve 
years later, the soils of these same three fields were again 
