Successful Farmer

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 236, 6 October 1936, Page 2

Successful Farmer

LIVESTOCK ABANDONED

How Mr George Baylis, of Boxford, Berks, tho agricultural pioneer, mado a fortune approaching £250,000 by novel fertilisation methods was explained by an expert at an agricultural conference at King’s Lynn, Norfolk. Mr C. S. Orwin, .Director of the Institute for Research in Agricultural Economics, Oxford University, said that Mr Baylis, whose will proved at £245,596, was at ono time tho largest arable farmer in England. “In ISG6 he had begun farming in Berkshire, on a farm of 240 acres, in tho traditional way for corn, roots, bullocks and sheep,” Mr Orwin continued. “After six years ho had lost £6OO.

“In his search after some other method of farming, which would put his balanco ou the other side, he came upon tho experiments of Lawes and Gilbert, at Eothamsted, Herts, which proved that corn could bo grown without animal manure by the application of ammonia and phosphates. “Baylis took liis courage in both hands, and decided to take tho Eothamsted experiments at their face value by abolishing all livestock from his farming system, lie evolved a six-course rotation, with three corn crops, two baro fallows and a clover crop. In 1875 lie borrowed £.15,000 and bought a 400acro farm ou which to pursuo his system.

“Almost immediately ho had to face tho great agricultural depression and tho slump in corn prices. While his neighbours were going bankrupt or giving up farming, Baylis went on growing corn, making money, and adding farm to farm. Before his death he was farming 12,000 acres, half of which, he owned, and the only livestock upon it were some 300 working horses.

“He died at the farm where he started. lie had farmed it without livestock for 61 years, and without any visible deterioration.”

Mr Orwin suggested that large areas of English grass lands were full ol' stored-up fertility, which could not be cashed except by ploughing and cropping. There were thousands of acres of grassland which would be more profitable to landlord and tenant alike under a system of alternate husbandry.