114 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



Grass may also be followed by peas or corn, then wheat; some root crop, followed by 

 barley, with grass and clover seed, which will produce a good crop of grass the following 

 year. In this way, changes can be made in rotation almost ad infinitum. and, as we have 

 previously stated, a scheme for such can best be made when the character of the soil, and the 

 crops desired are known, since soils differ so greatly that a rotation for one section, or farm 

 even, may not be suited to another, and only the general principles of rotation can be given 

 as applicable to all. We have aimed to lay down general rules simply, the details of which 

 each farmer can best arrange to suit his individual requirements and circumstances. 



It has been found by long practice that better results are reached when two crops of 

 grain are not cultivated in succession on the same field, though corn may be an exception to 

 this rule; also, that certain products are mutual fertilizers, being so mysteriously related that 

 the growth of one is the best preparation of the soil for the other. 



The following rotation for wheat, corn, oats, peas, and clover, is recommended by the 

 editor of the Country Gentleman: 



&quot; Two modes of rotation are adapted for these crops, the most common being to invert 

 sod, and plant corn on it, with good manuring the previous autumn or winter on the surface; 

 follow with oats, barley, or peas ; and the same autumn sow winter wheat with a moderate 

 seeding of timothy, and the next spring, clover-seed. The field may remain in grass any 

 number of years, according to the number of your fields. This rotation is modified where 

 the brown cut-worm is prevalent, by first sowing wheat on the well-inverted and pulverized 

 sod, and follow this with corn and the other crops already mentioned. The decaying sod and 

 the manure which is applied give a good crop of corn.&quot; 



Of course, a rotation suited to one portion of the country would not be adapted to another 

 portion where the products were very dissimilar, such as the Northern and Southern States. 



With respect to rotation of crops in the Southern States, Mr. C. W. Howard, of Georgia, 

 says: 



&quot;A great defect of Southern planters is, that they do not keep, in the way of fertility, 

 what they get. That is to say, when they make a piece of ground rich, they afterward con 

 tinue to work it in exhausting crops until all the richness is gone. The true policy is not 

 merely to keep the ground rich, but to make it richer. To illustrate: If a piece of rich land 

 is put in cotton, it may be followed with corn, small grain, with clover being sowed among 

 the corn in August. If the clover is allowed to occupy the ground for two years and to go 

 to seed, even under a longer rotation than the above, it will not be necessary to sow it again. 

 As soon as the ground is at rest, it will be covered with young clover. Three years ago a 

 piece of ground was put in turnips, manured in the ground with farm-yard manure. The 

 turnips were eaten on the ground by the sheep. The next year it was put in corn; the next 

 in cotton worked very clean, and the following year in oats. 



After the oats were cut a fine stand of red clover appeared. This seed was never sown, 

 but must have been in the manure applied three years since to the turnips. This is not a 

 solitary case. Many similar instances have occurred within the observation of the writer. It 

 is such plants as clover and peas that not only hold, but increase the fertility of the soil. 



In order to illustrate the writer s views of diversified husbandry, the following rotation 

 of crops is submitted as one suited to the agricultural condition of the South. 



We will suppose a farm of 500 acres of open land under fence. Let 250 acres be devoted 

 to arable purposes, and the rest to grazing. The rotation might be as follows: 1. Cotton and 

 corn in the same field in suitable proportions. 2. Oats sown in August on the cotton and 

 corn land. 3. Rye, or rye and wheat, sown in September, the land having been twice plowed 

 in order to kill the germinant oats. 4 and 5. Clover, if the land is in sufficient heart to pro 

 duce it ; if not, the fourth year rest ungrazed, and the fifth year sheep and cattle penned upon 

 it every night during the year, using a portable fence. An ordinary farm of 500 acres will 



