102 [Senate 



may be dispensed with, and the only divisions those made by the 

 crops themselves. But the mixed husbandry of this country, which 

 is found the safest for our farmers, prevents the adoption of this sys- 

 tem here, and renders perrtianent divisions of farms necessary. Ten 

 acres is found to make a very suitable sized field, and the eighty acres 

 under cultivation will make eight fields of this size. If the soil is 

 properly constituted, any one of these lots may be made to pro- 

 duce either wheat, corn, barley, oats, rye, peas or roots, at the plea- 

 sure of the manager or the wants of the farm. A proper rotation 

 of these and other crops, however, is demanded of every farmer who 

 would keep np the fertility of his soils, and not suffer the desire of 

 present profit to lead to future exhaustion. It is much easier by skil- 

 ful management, to keep up or add to the fertility of a soil, than to 

 restore an exhausted one to productiveness. 



The necessity of a rotation of crops, appears to exist in the nature 

 of plants themselves, some preferring some one of the materials or 

 ^ , ,. elements of the soil, and being unable to perfect themselves 



Rotation - ^ ^ ^ 



of crops, where this element is not present; while by others, this sub- 

 stance is mostly or entirely rejected. Thusthe silicates are indispensa- 

 ble to the growth of the grasses, and lime to the perfection of wheatj 

 while but a minute portion of the former is required for the soft coated 

 plants, and of lime but little is wanted for the production of the bul- 

 bous roots. The application of manures too, in their result on crops, 

 would lead to the propriety of rotation. Fresh or barn yard ma- 

 nures, do not seem proper for direct application to grain crops. They 

 require to have their first or fermentative action given to crops in 

 which the rapid growth of the plant is of more consequence at first, 

 than the perfecting of the seeds, of which nature are corn and roots.* 



* Some plants contain more azote or nitrogen than others, and in some this substance 

 is contained in the roots, and in others in the seeds. Thus, wheat and peas contain far 

 more azote than turneps or potatoes. To increase the supply of starch in a plant, the 

 quantity of azotized manure must be increased, and it mu>t be present at tlie time when 

 most required by the p^ant. Roots in general have a large system of leaves, do not con- 

 tain a large portion of azote, and rely for their development mainly on a large extent of 

 leaf surface. The great object to be aimed at, then, in the manuring of roots, is to furnish 

 the means of rapid growth at first, as on this the amount of crop will be depending. This 

 is more the case with the turnep and carrot than the potatoe, as the former are not I'equir- 

 ed to produce seed, while the tuber of the potatoe is in one sense a seed, and consequent- 

 ly requires azotized materials for its perfection. On the contrary, the grains are cultiva- 

 ted for their seed; and as this is the most highly azotized portion, they require not so much 

 manure to act quickly in developing leaves, as one that will furnish supplies of azote to 

 the last, or during the formation of the grain. Hence it is, that while fresh manures are 

 the best for roots, com, &c., or those plants which have large leaves, thoroughly decom- 

 posed ones are to be preferred for the cerealia. [See Madden on Manures.'] 



