, 1884-12-06

hdNO w NC given up euGlTely III InlS COun-
try. If only for the value of the straw,
the crop will always pay in the neighbour
hood OF large towns, except where farmers
are fooliShly forbidden to sell straw :: and.
besides, on some of the best wheat soils
great crops can be grown that will Weld q
small profit so long as the average price is
rot below 40S. per quarter, and until the
present year it had not been quite so low
as that for any year since 1851. But on
soils not we'll suited to wheat, the crop
VIII gradually cease to be grown, and all
over the country it will lOSe-indeed, it is
rapidly losing-itS old reputation as the
rent-paylng crop. Unfortunately, barley
does not pay much better than wheat in
these days OF total abstinence and scienti-
tic bre wing oats realise satisfactory prices
only when the foreign supply is short and
the demand for peas and beans is limited.
What, then, can the cultivatorS of arabic
land do i'll order to get a living7 A great
deal OF our best corn growing land is not
well fitted for permanent pasture; and if
1t were, too great an increase of pasture
would diminish the production of meat.
While dalrN-farmlng cannon become univer-
sal. On light soils the breeding and graz
ing OF sheep may be extended; and if we
can keep the country free from widespread
attacks OF contagious disease, this result
may be confidently expected. But what
OF the heavy soils that prevail to a large
extent in England?
Our heavy lands are the great winter
grazing districts of the country. and il is
desirable that they should remain so.
Hitherto, however, the fattening of bull
locks i'll yards or sheds has been carried
on rather as an adjunct to corn. growing
than as a means of direct profit. Beasts
are bought to tread down the straw. and
convert it into manure, and roots are
grown and cake is bought to feed the ami
mails; the chief object being that of keep
ing up the fertility of corn growing land.
If the cattle repay the cost of the food
grown and purchased for them, so that
the manure costs nothing beyond the
value OF the straw. which is the staple of
1t the graZler thinks he has done remark
ably we'll. Now and then, by buying and
selling luckily, or with extra-gOod iudg.
ment, he succeeds in realizing a direct pro
fit on his grazing, but not often. Where,
then, does the profit come in, if the grazier
gets only his manure as the result of fat
tening cattle 2 In the good old times he
used to look to his corn crops, and espe-
cially to his wheat crop, for his reward.
He must look elsewhere now. The centre
of gravity has shifted. The world of apri-
culture no longer ~reVOlyes round the
wheat crop. Meat, milk, and butter are
the chief products OF agriculture which
realise satisfactory prices, and it is to them
that the farmer of the future must mainly
look for his living. There are minor sour.
ceS of profit, such as the production of
eggs and poultry, to which most farmers
might devote more attention than they
deign to give them at present; and. in ia
VOured localities, an increased production
of fruit, vegetables, or the superior makes
of cheeSe-we have plenty of common
cheese already-may be recommended.
The demand for these commodities. how
ever, is limited, as compared with the de.
mand for meat, milk, and butter. which.
50 far as the resources of this country are
concerned, is practically unlimited. The
problem is, how to make the DrOduc-
ton of these leading articles of food both
general and profitable. 1t pays we'll to
produce them on rich pastures. Can it be
made to pay on poor clays? Root crops
will not serve the purpose; for OH such
soils turnips do not flourish, and maneelsl
are very expensive to grow, while in wet
autumns the land il. injured seriously bv
carting off the roots. For such land esne.
cially, though not for it alone, there is
needed a system by which fodder crops
grown in summer can be preserved with q
minimum of waste for winter use,-crops
that can be grown at half the cost of roots.
and where roots do not flourish. The
needed system has been introduced,-not
"just at the nick of time" for it was badly
wanted ten years ago, but still at a time
when the eyes OF sinking men are eagerly