The term "fallow" appears in literature with a rich duality, being used both in its agricultural sense and as a metaphor for periods of rest or inactivity. In its literal sense, authors depict fallow land—fields left uncultivated to regain fertility—as central to discussions on crop rotation and the natural cycle of growth and renewal [1], [2], [3], [4], [5]. At the same time, "fallow" extends metaphorically to describe dormant states, whether referring to a mind ripe for new ideas after a period of inactivity [6], [7], [8] or capturing a landscape’s desolation before regeneration [9]. Additionally, the adjective is applied to certain deer species, emphasizing not only physical characteristics but also linking nature to the concept of cycles and eventual productivity [10], [11], [12]. This multifaceted usage enriches literary descriptions by evoking imagery of both natural decay and the promise of rejuvenation.
- The country husbandmen do know this too well to grow among their corn, or in the borders and pathways of the other fields that are fallow.
— from The Complete Herbal by Nicholas Culpeper
- 4. Year —No. 1—Wheat after fallow 42 bushels — pecks per acre.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson
- A thorough summer-fallow would not only clean the land, but would render some of the latent plant-food available.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson
- In most cases a fallow and a year's crop succeeded each other.
— from The New Gresham Encyclopedia. A to Amide by Various
- [ The system by which, in annual rotation, two-thirds of a given area are cultivated, while the remaining third is left fallow.
— from Dead Souls by Nikolai Vasilevich Gogol
- It had lain fallow all his life so far as the abstract thought of the books was concerned, and it was ripe for the sowing.
— from Martin Eden by Jack London
- The mind that lies fallow but a single day sprouts up in follies that are only to be killed by a constant and assiduous culture.
— from Addison by William John Courthope
- The Mind that lies fallow but a single Day, sprouts up in Follies that are only to be killed by a constant and assiduous Culture.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson
- The fields were deserted, the lands fallow for lack of instruments, for lack of manure, for lack of cattle; the houses were falling to ruin.
— from The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783 by A. T. Mahan
- The Deer of this Coust differ from the Common Deer, fallow Deer or Mule Deer as has beformentiond.
— from The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 by William Clark and Meriwether Lewis
- these were all of the blacktailed fallow kind.
— from The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 by William Clark and Meriwether Lewis
- Fallow deer and rabbits abounded in this neighbourhood, and with one greyhound only we killed ten of the former and great numbers of the latter.
— from The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Vol 1 (of 2) by Bernal Díaz del Castillo