SOIL EXHAUSTION AND ROTATION IN CROPS. (O 



corn, the more profoundly I am impressed with the impor- 

 tance of the crop, and with the prominent place which it holds 

 in American agriculture. I do not know of any other crop 

 with which we could replace it, that would serve the purposes 

 which Indian corn does in our agriculture at the present time; 

 and looking at it as a crop, I believe it fully deserves the en 

 comium which old farmer Taylor of Virginia gave it, many 

 years ago, as being "Meal, Meadow, and Manure;" it fur- 

 nished bread-stuff for the man, fodder for the beast, and tlie 

 means of fertilization for his fields. Whatever relates to its 

 culture, to the best method of producing it, and the most 

 profitable method of consuming it, I consider to be worthy of 

 the most careful study of all American farmers. 

 Adjourned to Wednesday, at 10 o'clock. 



SECOND DAY. 



The meeting was called to order at 10 o'clock, by Vice 

 President Hyde, who stated that the first business was a lec- 

 ture by Prof. S. W. Johnson, on jSoil Exhaustion and nota- 

 tion of Cro^s. 



• Lecture by Prof. S. W. Johnson. 



Mr. Chairman and gentlemen : Sometime since, I received 

 from Mr. Gold a letter asking me to address the Board of 

 Agriculture and the gentlemen assembled on this occasion, on 

 Exhaustion of Soils and Rotation of Crops. In that letter 

 Mr. Gold says : 



" We want to go further than the common theory of rotation 

 leads us, and inquire why some crops may be grown for sev- 

 eral years in succession, as onions and buckwheat, why corn 

 does not succeed after turnips, why does land become clover- 

 sick. 



" Why does the culture of certain crops tend to make the 

 farm richer, while other crops only make it poorer, and in 



