The Agricultural Papers of Georye Washi^t 



rotation will undergo a change in this, and perhaps in some 

 other respects. 



The vetches of Europe have not succeeded with me; our 

 frosts in winter, and droughts in summer, are too severe for 

 them. How far the mountain or wild pea would answer as a 

 substitute, by cultivation, is difficult to decide, because I be 

 lieve no trial has been made of it, and because its spontaneous 

 growth is in rich lands only. That it is nutritious in a great 

 degree, in its wild state, admits of no doubt. 



Spring barley, such as we grow in this country, has thriven 

 no better with me than vetches. The result of an experiment, 

 made with a little of the true sort, will be interesting. The 

 field peas of England (different kinds) I have more than 

 once tried, but not with encouragement to proceed ; for, among 

 other discouragements, they are perforated by a bug, which 

 eats out the kernel. From the cultivation of the common 

 black-eye peas, I have more hope, and am trying them this 

 year, both as a crop, and for ploughing in as a manure ; but 

 the severe drought, under which we labor at present, may 

 render the experiment inconclusive. It has, in a manner, de 

 stroyed my oats, and threatens to destroy my Indian corn. 



The practice of ploughing in buckwheat twice in the season 

 as a fertilizer is not new to me. It is what I have practised, 

 or, I ought rather to have said, attempted to practise, the 

 last two or three years ; but, like most things else in my ab 

 sence, it has been so badly executed, that is, the turning in 

 of the plants has been so ill timed, as to give no result. I 

 am not discouraged, however, by these failures; for, if pul 

 verizing the soil, by fallowing and turning in vegetable sub 

 stances for manure, is a proper preparation for the crop 

 that is to follow, there can be no question, that a double 

 portion of the latter, without an increase of the ploughing, 

 must be highly beneficial. I am in the act of making an- 



