No. 6S.] 



103 



For the peifection of the seeds of the small grain plants, it appears 

 that manure produces the best effect when it has had time to decom- 

 pose, and the salts it contains opportunity for forming new combina- 

 tions necessary to the new plant. But whatever theory may be 

 adopted to explain the propriety of rotation, the existence of the ne- 

 cessity will not be denied by any farmer who has paid attention to 

 the effects resulting from a succession of the same crops on the same 

 soil, or a rotation of crops. The methods and the courses of rotation 

 are very varied; but they should be made and pursued with reference 

 to a definite object. If grain is the principal object, then a larger 

 portion of the farm each year must be embraced in that culture; if 

 cattle husbandry, then more must be added to the meadow and pas- 

 ture. In the farm under supposition, grain will be the principal ob- 

 ject; one-fourth part, or twenty acres, being annually in wheat, and 

 the rotation will be arranged accordingly. 



The nature of this rotation will be seen at a glance. Of the eighty 

 acres, twenty each year are in wheat, twenty in pasture, ten in mea- 

 dow, ten in summer fallow, ten in oats and barley, and ten in corn 

 and roots. The manure is given to the corn and root crop, which 

 would manure every field once in eight years. This, although better 

 than is done on most farms, is not enough; and exertion should be 

 made to give a heavy compost dressing to the meadow each year; or 

 if deemed preferable, to the oat and barley field. It will be seen that 

 to give twenty acres of wheat, ten acres of it follow the corn and root 

 crop. If the corn is of the right kind, planted early and tended pro- 

 perly, there will be no difficulty in removing it from the ground by 

 the middle of September or before, and having the wheat sown by the 



