ROTATION OF CROPS. 385 



" The land loves a change of crop because it is better 

 prepared with that food which the new crop will relish than 

 with such as the plant it has long fed before continues to 

 require. 



u It is for this reason that new species of crop or new 

 varieties, when first introduced, succeed remarkably for a 

 time, and give great and encouraging returns. * * * * 



" It is constant variety of crops which, with rich manu- 

 ring 1 , makes our market gardens so productive, and it is the 

 possibility of growing in the fields many different crops in 

 succession that gives the fertility of a garden to parts of 

 Italy, Flanders, and China." 



The rotation to be adopted may be best selected by each 

 farmer for himself keeping in mind the foregoing principles 

 with reference to his soil, his market, his climate, the 

 price and supply of labor in his neighborhood, and the ex- 

 tent to which he can accumulate manure. 



The rotation which the writer has adopted for his own 

 farm is the following : 



First year : Indian corn, on sod land, manured the pre- 

 vious autumn with the entire accumulation of manure in the 

 barn cellar, then ploughed and left in the rough furrow for 

 the fullest exposure to frost, harrowing thoroughly before 

 planting time. 



After the crop is taken off in the fall, the land to be 



ploughed and again left in the rough furrow to winter. 



17 



