FARMERS^ REGISTER. 



121 



they should be appropriated to their proper use, 

 the production of raw silk. 



Layton Y. Atkins. 

 Stafford County, Va., Feb. 1S40. 



PREMIUJIS AWARDKD BY THE AGRICULTU- 

 RAL SOCIETY OF CHARLOTTE. 



For the Farmers' Register. 

 The edi'or of the Farmers' Register will please 

 insert the Ibllowing premiums awarded by liie 

 Agricultural Society of Charlotte, Virginia. 



To Henry A. Waikins ^5 for the best brood 

 mare, Ebony by Roanoke, dam by Bluster. Also 

 S5 lt)r the best two-year old filly, by Emanci[)a- 

 tion, dam Ebony. 



To John Marshall i$5 for the best two-year old 

 colt, by Emancipation, dam by Roanoke. Also 

 ^5 lor the best one-year old colt, by Emancipation, 

 tiam by Roaimke. 



To Hilary Richardson $5 for the best suckling 

 colt, by Shark, dam bv JVledley. 



To Thomas E. Watkins $2 50 Ibr the best 

 saddle horse. 



To Col. J. P. AJarshall $i2 00 for the best milch 

 cow, Scott, lhre(>-fburths Durham. Do. $2 00 

 (or the best beeC. ^2 00 do. for the best ihree- 

 tburih Durham heiltjr, and also .$2 00 Ibr the best 

 ram. 



To Major VVm. Gaines ,^2 for the best bull, 

 Tom Powell, by Medley. 



To Hilary G. Richardson 81 00 for the best 

 hoar, of the Berkshire breed, and ^2 Ibr the best 

 Berkshire pigs. 



To Co!, J. P, Marshall ^2 for the best brood 

 sow. R. J. Gaines, Sec'ry. 



REMARKS ON DIFFERENT SCHEfllES OF RO- 

 TATIONS. 



To tlie Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Not many years since, a controversy was warm- 

 ly maniltjsied in your journal, between two par- 

 ties of agriculturists on the lower James River, 

 on the comparative merits of the three and fonr- 

 shilt systems of husbandry. A mong the most dis- 

 tinguished of the disputants, was Mr. Hill Carter 

 of Shirley, than whom no one in our state enjoys, 

 or is entitled lo, a higher reputation as a larmcr — 

 as far (at least in my judgment) as consists in the 

 carrying out, and thorough execution of his plans ; 

 fbr which he possesses in an eminent degree the 

 advantages of a (iiir theatre, extensive means, 

 industry and intelligence. I observe in the De- 

 cember No. of the Register, (the last I have re- 

 ceived,) a communication (rom Mr. Carter in 

 which he condemns his favorite four-shift rotation. 

 This, 1 have long been prepared for, though I am 

 sorry to find that the unfavorable result of his ex- 

 perience has been ascribed by us to different causes; 

 leading him as I see to reserve the most objec- 

 tionable leature of the system he abandons ; I 

 mean the three successive grain crops. This, I 

 am the more surprised at, that the ofiject aimed at 

 is to get rid of insects ; particularly, I presume, the 

 chinch-bug, which is undoubtedly the greatest 

 .scourge that has ever visited the crops above the 

 (alls. This insect feeds exclusively on grain crops 

 Vol. VHI— 16 



as long as there is the least succulence in them, 

 and then preys on the spear grasses which grow 

 among them ; never, that i have seen, touching 

 clover. But the nursery afforded for three conse- 

 cutive years lo insects, is not the greatest objec- 

 tion (perhaps) to the system. 1 believe thai to 

 keep up the supply of pabulum necessary Ibr any 

 crop, but particularly wheal, it is important to al- 

 ternate platits of dilierent characters, as well as to 

 introduce an ameliorating crop as often as c;in be 

 done with an eye to the desideratum with all pro- 

 prietors of the soil ; 1 mean, advantage to the 

 land as well as to the purse. To this end, none 

 is so convenient or useful as clover, none so well 

 calculated lo arrest '.he encroachments of pests, 

 both of the animal and vegetable kingdom, or oi' 

 poverty, that most depressing of all evils. 



I have always considered the " 6eaw iWeaZ" of 

 an itnproving, and at the same time profitable sys- 

 tem, the five-field. But not with Mr. Carter's 

 rotation; in this we differ radically. Not only 

 as regards the consecutive crops of grain, but of 

 clover and the kind of grain which (bllows it. 

 Under Mr. C.'s rotation, wheat succeeds ihc. second 

 year's crop of clover. This [ thruk is objectiona- 

 ble on account of the pests which spring up in the 

 second year of the maturity of clover. If Ibr the 

 sake ol improvement to the land, or Ibr grazing, I 

 wished to give two crops of clover to a field, I 

 should do so under a six-field course, viz., clover, 

 clover-nasture, corn, wheat, clover, wheat. This 

 is undoubtedly one of the most improving and pro- 

 fitable systems to the grazier and farmer, who 

 have large tracts of uplands. But to the farmer, 

 (without'the other branch of the prolession as with 

 Mr. Carter,) and much less to the larmer and 

 planter as with ifs, it will not answer; at least, I 

 speak Jor myself. To return from a digression to 

 my perfection of a live-shil\ rotation, i. c. clover, 

 corn, wheat, clover, wheat. This gives two fields 

 of clover and two of wheat, with the advantage 

 of a regular alternation. Tlie stubble fields to be 

 gleaned by hogs, and moderately trampled by cat- 

 tle—the first chiefly for the benefit of the iiogs, 

 the latter of the clover, which is the better Ibr hav- 

 ing the earlh settled about ii belbre the winter's 

 frost sets in ; and in puffy lands is also measura- 

 bly protected fi-om the usual drought of July and 

 August. 



Both clover fields to be moderately grazed* 

 after the 20th June I he second year, by a fttock 

 only suffici(>nt for ihe purposes ol' the liirm— the 

 field (or fallow first. The two fields thus afford 

 grazing enough for the slock, and have left on 

 ihem more clover than is taken oti— trampled too 

 to a degree, wliich is beneficial to the succeed- 

 ing crops, as well on account of the settling of 

 the clover, fiiciliiatinji; in some measure the opera- 

 lion of ploughing, as from the pressure of the hoof 

 promoting the [)rodtictivpness of l!ie soil ; fbr 1 

 agree with Mr. Carter in the oj/inion that some 

 trampling is indispensable lo a good product in 

 wheat. To this system, as lo all others, I consider 

 a standing pasture an important aid, even though 

 it be such a one as / have attached lo a three- 

 field course, which a friend (Dr. J. M. M.) cha- 

 racterizes a short bite. Being large, this serves 

 my stock, will the aid of lots fbr lavoritee, until 



* Unless one is reserved for cutting hay and seed 

 from. 



