F A R M E US' il E G I S T E R 



vember ; and then you will have all of the winter I Our attention unquestionably should be turned 

 and spring to ploufih at your leisure the field in- more 1o these tiiintrs, to which we have never at- 

 leiuled Ibr peas. The field then being ."ill ready j tachcd sufficient importance. We are yet far be- 



you will Have no furiher trouble or labor with them 

 than simply iiarrowing them in, in JNJay, after you 

 are done planting your corn crop. 



TiuU, the eanh will be, from its being kept so 

 clean, &.c. in the very best slate to receive the 

 clover crop, there cannot be a question. 



That where liming is carried on (as it is with 



lind European, as well as the most successful 

 northern |iraciice in this respect. Judicious Jius- 

 bandry is undoubtedly the parent of plenty. 



With the live-field rotation above recommended, 

 a standing pasture will be necessary ; a small one 

 however lor early grazing might be sufficient, as I 

 have no doubt that it will allow the clover field to 



me) the arrangement will be better, as frequently, i be grazed after it has well headed out, and niight 

 liom unavoidable circumstances, you cannot com- then be grazed to advantage; as by so doing each 

 plete the field the first winter and spring, you can fallow field will have the advanla<ies of being 

 lo so the second when it comes in peas. And | trampled, as it is supposed by many that the cro[)S 



then there is nothing that the lime will combine 

 with better, and turned to greater advantage in 

 improvement tlian with peas.* 



These are some of the niany advantages that 

 have occurred to me as resulting from this change. 

 Oiher alternaiing crops than peas might be sub- 

 stituted; such as vines of ditlerenl sorts, pump- 

 kins by far the most valuable of them all. I have 

 known buckwheat, millet, and oats sown to be 

 turned under as i.nprovers. But I think none so 

 cheap or possessing the same requisites as peas. 

 They are in every respect an alterative, prepara- 

 tory, and improving crop. Whereas the buck- 

 wheat, &c. &c. are of the narrow leaf, fibrous 

 rooied familv, drawing their food from the earth 

 instead of from the atmosphere, and by their sub 



will be benefited b^J^ it, so that it will combine all 

 the advantages of other systems in this respect. 



Where a standing pasture cannot be provided, 

 and the labor not commensurate with the arable 

 surface, I have thought the following rotation 

 would be a good one. 



ji six-field and fallow rotation. 

 1st year, corn, 



-crazed, 



Under this arrangement the second year's clover 

 field would be the pasture. There miffht be these 



t-liiiition the alterative sysiem will not be efiected. ! objections to it, that the fields might not be kept 



As the oat crop is so valuable a one wilh me for 

 li;ediiig my teams, I propose seeding one-third of 

 the field intended for peas in that crop; and on 

 which I propose to put my manure. Should the 

 manuring extend fartber than the third lor oats, I 

 propose putting the remainder of the manured 

 land in pumpkins ; and the balance of the field of 

 course in peas. The oat land will be fallowed up 

 as soon as cut, and come in wheat with the re- 

 mainder of the field in the fall. The land put in 

 oats will be altp.rnaied as the field comes round for 

 that crop, so that it will only be put in this ex- 

 hanstinir crop once in every fifieen years. 



You will perceive that by this arrangement of 

 the field, you will be furnished with a greater va- 

 riety of food for the stock ; all of them of great 

 value, and tending directly to the saving of corn ; 

 thereby enabling you to make that a larger sale 

 crop. 



I propose also having four lots for root crops and 

 grass, of 3 or 4 acres each. Cultivating one every 

 year in potatoes, turnips, mangold wurtzel, and 

 carrots. The remaining three in grass as follows : 

 1st year manured and cultivated in root crops; 

 2nd. laid down in grass; 3rd. mowed and then 

 grazeil ; 4ih. mowed and grazed. Then alter- 

 nated in the roots again. It has occurred to me 

 that, by such an arrangement, a plentiful supply ol 

 the roots will be furnished lor our winter coiisutnp- 

 lion and for sale ; a goodly supply of fine milk and 

 l)utter; at least two tons o[ hay to the acre ; and 

 fine grazing for our mutton, beeves, &c. &c.t 



* Tfie pea fallow is not a mere experiment with me, 

 as I have frequently substituted them for clover, when 

 that crop had failed ; and from i?o doing derived great 

 benefit from them. The tory or Idack pea is the best 

 lor the purpose that I have ever tiled. 



t I propose that the grasses shall be orchard grass 

 and clover, sown together ; as none suit our climate 

 better, or afford better winter grazing. 



clear ol the blue irrass, &c. ; and from being so 

 trampled all the year as a pasture would be more 

 difficult to fallow in the fall for wheat. 



I am every year more impressed with the belief 

 that our rotations should be so arranired as that 

 our wheat crops should be on green fallows ; and 

 thus you see the principles of the above rotations 

 are based. Experience, our safest and best guide, 

 has taught the belief; and such I believe is the 

 theory and practice ol" the most successful and 

 best inlbrmed agriculturists upon the subject. 



I now present the foregoing to your valuable 

 consideration, and must ask to be pardoned for the 

 allusions that 1 have made to my own cropping 

 and improvements; and can assure you that it 

 has been done with no disposition to boast on my 

 part, as in truth there is nothing to boast of. But 

 in doing so my sole object has been to show that 

 [the theories and opinions as here advanced, have 

 been drawn from actual results. Whatever I 

 have done towards the improvement of my estate, 

 and a better course of husbandry, I hope is a mere 

 beginning. The good work which I trust is in 

 progress is not yet half done. In this age of im- 

 provement, when all other arts and sciences are 

 rapidly advancing to greater perfection, why 

 should not the humble tiller of the soil, who, I 

 must admit, is far, very far, in arrears, make ef- 

 forts to arrive at the same goal also? There is 

 no profession more honorable and useful ; in fact 

 it is the Ibsterinff mollier of the whole human 

 race. A revolution however has undoubtedly 

 taken place. Old habits and customs in many in- 

 stances have been laid aside ; the ball of improve- 

 ment has been put in motion, and must accumu- 

 late. And let me assert that it has been mainly 

 done through your agency. The weight thrown 

 in the scale by your laudable and valuable exer- 

 tions is great ; but there is still much wanting to 

 produce the equipoise. If what I have here said 



