Ch. VII.] ON THE ROTATION OF CROPS. 97 



turnips hold as a fallow crop, are also the important purposes which it 

 serves in the feeding of stock, and the consequent improvement which the 

 manure thus raised occasions in the condition of the land. 



It must however be admitted, that this course, although forming the best 

 foundation for an established plan, where the soil and state of the farm 

 will allow it, may yet be conveniently departed from on particular occa- 

 sions ; and so rigid an adherence to system as would exclude all regard to 

 circumstances which demand alteration, would indicate but little acquaint- 

 ance with the casualties of rural life. The soil, indeed, delights so much 

 in variety, that it sickens of the frequent growth of some vegetables ; thus, 

 although clover is generally found to succeed better after barley than after 

 any other crop, yet, if too frequently repeated, it sometimes fails, and must 

 then be replaced by some other green crop, which may occasion the neces- 

 sity of altering the entire of the following rotation. The farmer must, 

 therefore, consider himself at liberty to make whatever selection he may 

 deem most eligible or convenient ; only avoiding the immediate recurrence 

 of any two crops of grain. 



On very light land it would also be deceiving one's self to imagine that 

 crops of corn can be grown, even in alternate succession, or that an 

 uninterrupted course of tillage can be advantageously continued during a 

 long period ; and it is undoubtedly necessary that such soils should be 

 occasionally invigorated by being laid down to pasture. The ordinary 

 course is, indeed, sometimes extended to a five-course shift, by leaving the 

 land for two years under clover ; which, in that case, is generally sown 

 with a mixture of rye-grass*; and rye, or oats, are sometimes substituted for 

 wheat. A smaller portion of the farm is thus required to be ploughed and 

 manured, and the sheep are regularly folded upon the ground ; but, 

 although advantages are thus seemingly gained, yet the course is not so 

 profitable as the former, when that can be carried into effect, for the 

 clover leaves but a poor return during the second year, and the land, when 

 continued under grass, engenders worms and weeds, which are injurious to 

 the future crop of wheat. A better plan is, therefore, to extend the course, 

 by continuing the two next successive crops — namely, turnips and barley, 

 or oats — and then, instead of sowing this second crop of barley alone, as it' 

 intended to be followed by wheat, to lay the land down with pasture-grasses. 

 The land will thus be brought into a state for the feeding of stock during 

 such a number of years as may be deemed sufficient to accomplish its 

 renovation : it may then be again broken up with a crop of oats, after which 

 the former courses may be again pursued. 



Or the course may be extended beneficially thus : — 



1 Turnips. 5 Turnips. 



2 Barley. 6 Barley. 



3 Red clover. 7 and 8 Pasture. 



4 Wheat. 9 Oats. 



The grass-seeds sown for the two years' pasture should consist of sixteen 

 pounds white clover, three pounds trefoil, two pounds rib-grass, and two 

 quarts of perennial rye-grass ; entirely omitting red clover at this period, 



* We lijive lately witnessed an instance of a crop of clover, which showed evident 

 signs of failuve, having been brought to produce an abundance of green food for soiling, 

 by running the harrows over it, and partially sowing it with about a bushel of tares ; the 

 cattle seemed to relish it more than the clover which had been grown lumaixed, and we 

 doubt not that it would have made excellent haJ^ It was bush-harrowtd and rolled after 

 the seed was sown ; and were the same plan adopted for all clover that is allowed to 

 stand for the second year, it probably would be found to add largely to the pasture 

 while the additional expense would amount to a mere trifle. 



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