APPENDIX. 453 



In Greatbritain, it is found essentially requisite that clay -lands 

 should be effectually Summer-fallowed, as often as every sixth year; 

 as well tor the purpose of extirpating* growths of weeds, as for mel- 

 lowing the soil, and rendering it more lively. A fallowing there is 

 performed by many repeated ploughmgs and harrowings during the 

 Slimmer. But it should be remembered, that the climate of that 

 Country is very different from this. Their wheat -harvest is in Au- 

 tumn ; their Summers being wet and cool. Here we have time, after 

 the harvest is over, to cleanse and enliven the soil by repeated 

 ploughings and harrowings. 



On hard, gravelly lands, which are unfit for any crops of roots, ex- 

 cept perhaps potatoes, no very extensive rotation can be had to ad- 

 vaniage, without plentiful manuring. Gypsum has a powerful effect 

 on sucii lands, and with the aid of this manure alone, even the poor- 

 est of gravels may be made to yield good crops of buckwheat and of 

 red-clover; and on a lay of this latter crop, turned under, a tolerably 

 good crop of rye may be had. Saintibin, and some other taprooted 

 grasses, flourish in such soils better than might be expected. Gra- 

 velly lands require very deep and frequent ploughings, in order to 

 make them sufficiently retentive of moisture. They are usually much 

 assisted by compost-manures, where clay, mud, upland-marie, Sec. form 

 a considerable share of the ingredients. But as there are different 

 degrees of fertility in gravelly lands, according to the nature of the 

 gravel, and its greater or less predominance in the soil, we can lay 

 down no definite course of crops that in all cases would be found 

 most advisable. Sa}, however, that with effectual deep ploughings, 

 and plenty of suitable manure for the drills, the first crop shall be 

 Indian corn, intermixed with the potatoe and the pumpkin-growths, 

 as before mentioned; next Spring, oats, or barley, if the ground will 

 answer for this crop. As soon as this crop comes off', turn the stub- 

 ble under, and harrow in buckwheat for a green-dressing, in the 

 manner mentioned in treating of manures ; and on this growth, turn- 

 ed under, sow rye, if the ground is too gravelly for wheat. Sow the 

 cloverseed the next Spring, in the quantity before mentioned, and 

 then harrow the ground, which will serve the purpose of covering 

 the seed, and also of assisting the growth of the crop of wneat or 

 rye, as the case may be. The advantage derived from harrowing 

 these crops in the Spring has been well ascertained by experiment. 

 After the second years growth of clover has been fed or mowed off^ 

 turn over the ground in the Fall, to commence the rotation anew. 



When we speak of gravelly lands, we do not mean to include those 

 which are, properly speaking, gravelly loams ; for soils of this de- 

 scription are generally well fited for the rotation first mentioned. 

 By gravelly lands we mean those where gravel is mostly predomi- 

 nant, as we call those lands sandy where silex forms the greatest 

 proportion of the soil; and of these something is now to be said. 



As a specimen of what may be called light sandy lands, we will re- 

 fer to much of those lying between Albany and Schenectady. These, 

 like the gravelly lands just mentioned, are not, in their natural state, 

 calculated for the production of many different crops in perfection; 

 nor indeed for any, without manure. With the aid of gypsum alone, 

 however, good crops of peas, and of buckwheat, may be had on most 

 of these lands; tolerable, of red-clover; and on the lay of clover, 

 turned under, middling crops of rye may be had, Probably, with 

 this manure, valuable crops of pumpkins might be raised on them. 

 Lands of this description have, however, very essential prop^ rites, 

 which gravelly lands do not possess; they are much easier cultivated 

 thun the harder soils, and, in proportion to their natural fertility, no 



