144 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



with that which was believed not ouly to he worth- 

 less for promoting the plant's growth, but posi- 

 tively injurious. In the case of animals this is ob- 

 served very plainly ; and the peculiar aversion which 

 beasts manifest to their various excrements shows the 

 means which Nature has planted in each to lead them 

 to avoid that which would be, not only useless, but 

 really injurious. This explanation was very gene- 

 rally accepted for many years; and it was a very 

 reasonable mode of explaining the observations of 

 practice. It appeared to be corroborated by the 

 fact that after the soil had been exposed to the 

 air by the process of cultivfition, the land became 

 "sweetened," as they termed it, and then was again 

 ready for the production of the same crops; whereas, 

 if the land were kept as much as possible from the 

 atmosphere, then the crop still failed to be productive. 

 Although this explanation appeared very simple, yet, 

 being destitute of satisfactory proof, it only held this 

 position until its successor came into notice. 



The claims of its rival were based upon the exhaus- 

 tion of the land, and its principles are simple. Every 

 crop removed from the land, takes from it a certain 

 quantity of mineral matter which the Ltnd had yielded 

 in its growth. Every successive crop of the same plant 

 having removed similar materials, the proportion of 

 those ingredients of the soil which remained was thus 

 gradually reduced by every crop. If the soil were rich, 

 it could withstand the attack for a longer period of 

 time than if it were poor in quality; and this fact alone 

 leads us to see the cause. If we have a soil rich in the 

 inorganic elements required by the crop, such a soil 

 could bear a longer succession; but, if deficient in 

 these mineral matters, a more speedy failure of the 

 crop is the result. 



Should a soil possess some of the ingredients in 

 abundance, whilst others which are essential to the 

 growth of the crop are deficient, the productiveness of 

 the soil will be regulated by the latter. Thus land may 

 be exhausted of certain ingredients which the crop 

 requires, and consequently becomes incapable of pro- 

 ducing it in luxuriance, or even in a remunerative de- 

 gree, whilst it may still possess all the other ingre- 

 dients in abundance. For crops, therefore, which re- 

 lied upon those materials yet remaining in the land, it 

 would still be fertile or productive. 



This explanation has been very generally accepted 

 as a substitute for the excrementitious principle before- 

 named ; and there is much truth in the argument based 

 upon the exhaustion of the soil. Still we are far from 

 being disposed to consider this as fully explaining 

 the principles which are embodied in this in- 



teresting subject. Wo must ever remember, that, 

 whilst we seek truth, we must not rest upon 

 a few fragments, although they may be in them- 

 selves perfectly correct ; that in the functions of 

 vegetable life many principles are involved. Let us 

 prize each as we discover them, and await with patience 

 and persevering industry until we have gained those 

 that remain. These will ultimately dove-tail in with 

 those we already know, and render the series com- 

 plete. Whilst, therefore, we cannot consider that the 

 necessity for a judicious succession of crops which 

 will favour the fertility in the land depends solely 

 upon the exhaustion of the mineral ingredients of tlie 

 soil, yet we are fully justified in stating the fact that it 

 has a powerful influence upon the result, and is worthy 

 of a very careful consideration. 



In another page of this magazine we have in- 

 serted a table, which will give the reader a clear view 

 of the mineral matter which. our crops contain. As the 

 soil is the only source from ■which these materials can 

 be procured, it will be evident that without a due con- 

 sideration of these facts, we cannot have safe informa- 

 tion to guide us, either as to the best succession of 

 crops, or enable us to compensate the natural defi- 

 ciency so produced in our soils, by tlie aid of manures. 



There is a remarkable difference in the food re- 

 quired by different crops. For example, our corn crops 

 take from Golbs. to 1401bs. of silica per acre, but other 

 crops from 61bs. to 201bs. ; whilst the root crops make 

 a demand upon the soil for the alkalies (potash and 

 soda) far in excess of that required by the corn. 

 In like manner, we observe other equally important 

 and singular differences in the demands made upon 

 the soil. This variation in some measure explains the 

 adoption of certain rotations, whereby the crops are 

 placed in that order of succession which will distribute 

 the demands as much as possible, instead of allowing 

 them to concentrate too much at any period of the 

 course. It must not be supposed that the credit aris- 

 ing from the adoption of our established rotations be- 

 longs to those who have discovered these principles ; 

 for such is not the case. Successful practice having 

 given remunerative proof of success, led to such an 

 established order; and afterwards by the assistance of 

 scientific investigators we discovered some of the 

 causes for this method. Practice showed that to ob- 

 tain success certain crops had to be distributed through 

 the course, and separated from each other, whilst other 

 crops answered well in immediate succession. We have 

 so far drawn attention to the data by which these sin- 

 gular facts can be explained, and shall next more fully 

 elucidate this most interesting branch of rural economy. 



THE LAMBING SEASON 



1 have now for several years ventured annually to give 

 a few hints on the management of the breeding flock in 

 the lambing season. I take the liberty of again revert- 

 ing to it, as one of paramount importance at this pre- 



cise time. I have nothing new to advance of any par- 

 ticular value ; but even the repetition of old and well- 

 known practices may be of some service to old readers ; 

 and as I know that new readers rapidly increase, 



