1837] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



307 



for having these, crops repeated. Cotli these the- 

 ories, or rather, perhaps, hypotiieses, are attend- 

 ed witii some liilliculty in the case of plants which 

 remain a threat many years on the same soil; as, (()r 

 example, perennial-rooted herbaceous plants and 

 trees. The dillicnll}', however, is got over in both 

 systems: by the first, or old theory, the annual 

 droppin<r and decay ot' the Joliage is said to sup- 

 ply at once, general nourishment, and particular 

 nourishment; and by the second, or new theory, 

 the same droppinp; of the leaves, by the general 

 nourishment which it supplies, is said to neu- 

 tralize the pariicularexcrctions. It must becon- 

 lespcd that it is not very obvious how general 

 nourishment, dropped on the surilice of the soil, 

 can neutralize the excrementitious matter de- 

 posited many feet beneath the surliice; as in the 

 ease of long rooted lierbaceous plants, like the 

 sainttbin, lucerne, &c.; and deep rooting trees, 

 such as the oak, &c. Nevertheless, we find that 

 these plants will remain a longer period on the 

 same soil than others, the roots of which never go 

 to any great depth beneath the surface; such as 

 the fibrous-rooted grasses, the strawberry, &c., 

 and the pine and fur tribe. We mention these 

 things to show that though it is not yet determined 

 which is the true theory, yet that the fact of plants 

 injuring or diminishing the fertility of the soil, 

 both generally and particularly, does not admit of 

 a doubt. 



In the absence of principles founded on whiche- 

 ver of these hypotheses may l)e true, recourse is 

 obliged to be had to rules drawn from the experi- 

 ence and observation of those who believe in the 

 old theory. These rules, as adopted by the best 

 gardeners, are as follows: 



Crops of plants belonging to the same natural 

 order or tribe, or to the natural order and tribe most 

 nearly allied to them, should not follow each other. 

 Thus, turnips should not follow any of the cab- 

 bage tribe, sea-kale, or horseradish. 



Plants which draw their nourishment chiefly 

 from the surface of the soil should not follow each 

 other; but should alternate with those which draw 

 their nourishment in great part from the subsoil. 

 Hence, carrots and beets should not follow each 

 other: nor onions and potatos. 



Plants which draw a "Treat deal of nourishment 

 from the soil should succeed, or be succeeded by 

 plants which draw less nourishment. Hence, a 

 crop grown f()r its fi-uit, such as the pea; or for its 

 roots or bulbs, such as the potato or the onion, 

 should be followed by such as are grown solely lor 

 their leaves, such as the common borecole, the 

 celery, the lettuce, &c. 



Plants which remain for several years on the 

 soil, such as strawberries, rhubarb, asparagus, 

 &c. should not be succeeded by other plants which 

 remain a long time on the soil, but by crops of 

 short duration; and the soil should be continued 

 under such crops Ibr as long a period as it remain- 

 ed under a permanent crop. Hence, injudicious- 

 ly cropped gardens, the strawberry compartment 

 is changed every three or four years, till it has 

 gone the circuit of all the compartments; and as- 

 l)aragus beds, sea-kale, &c. are renewed on the 

 same princijiles. 



Plants, the produce of which is collected during 

 summer, should be succeeded by those of which 

 the produce is chiefly gathered in winter or spring. 

 The object of this rule is, to prevent two active 



and exhausting crops from following each other in 

 succession. 



Plants in gardens are sometimes allowed to 

 ripen their seeds; in which case two seed-bearing 

 crops should fiot follow each other in succession. 



These rules, and ot tiers of a like kind, apply 

 generally to the three dillerent systems for the 

 succession of crops; and they are independent al- 

 together of other rules or principles which may be 

 drawn li-om the nature of the plants themselves; 

 such as some requiring an extraordinary propor- 

 tion of air, light, shade, moisture, &c.; or from the 

 nature of the changes intended to be made on 

 them by cultivation; such as blanching, succulen- 

 cy,_ magnitude, &c. We shall now notice the 

 dillerent systems separatel}'. 



Successional Cropping. — The plants best cal- 

 culated for this mode of cropping are such as re- 

 quire, during almost every period of their growth, 

 the fullest exposure to the light and air; and as re- 

 main, also, a considerable time in the soil: these 

 are, the turnips, the onion, the potato, the beet, 

 the carrot, &c. If any of these crops are raised 

 and brought forward under the shade of others, 

 they will be materially injured, both in quality and 

 quantity, though, at the same time, while they 

 are merely germinating, shade will not injure 

 them. Hence, successional cropping may be car- 

 ried on in breadths of 20 feet or 30 7eet, between 

 rows of tall-growing articles, without injury; 

 which approximates this manner of cropping to 

 the simultaneous mode; which, wherever the soil 

 is rich, is by fiir the most profitable. 



The simultaneous mode of Cropping, is founded 

 on the principles, that most plants, when germi- 

 ntxting, and Ibr some time afterwards, thrive best 

 in the shatle; and the tall -growing plants, which 

 require to receive the light on each side, should be 

 sown, or planted, at some distance Irom each 

 other. Hence, tall-growing peas are sown in 

 rows 10 fi^et or 12 fiiet apart; and between them 

 are planted rows of the cabbage tribe; and, again, 

 between these are sown rows of spinach, lettuce, 

 or radishes, &c. Hence, also, beans are planted 

 in the same rows with potatos or with cabbages, 

 (an old practice in the cottage gardens of Scot- 

 land;) and so on. The great object in this kind of 

 cropping is, to have crops on the ground, in differ- 

 ent stages of growth; so that, the moment the 

 soil and the surface are released from one crop, an- 

 other may be in an advanced state, and ready, as it 

 were, to supply its place. For this purpose, when- 

 ever one crop is removed, its place, ought to be in- 

 stantly supplied by plants adapted for producing an- 

 other crop of the proper nature to succeed it. For 

 example, where rows of tall marrowfat peas have 

 rows of broccoli between them, then, the moment 

 the peas are removed, a trench for celery may be 

 Ibrmed where each row of peas stood; and be- 

 tween the rows of broccoli, in the places where 

 lettuces were produced early in the season, may 

 be sown drills of winter spinach. 



From the Farmer and Gardener. 

 CUBA TOBACCO IN MARYLAND 



With regard to the growth of the Cuba variety 

 of tobacco in this country, there can be no ques- 

 tion. We recently enjoyed a cigar, the tobacco 

 of which was grown in Dorchester county, Ma- 

 ryland, by that'intelligcnt agriculturist, Dr. Muse, 



