THE F ARMEUS 'REGISTER. 



Vol. VIII. 



OCTOBER 31, 1840. 



No. 10. 



EDMUND RUFFIN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. 



KOTATIOIV OF CROPS. 



Bij H\ C. ^'icholas. esq., Vice Presldcnl of the 

 Sucieiy. 



From llie IMunioirs ol' llje " Society of Virginia lor Promolin;; 

 Agricullure." 



Of all agriculturnl suIijitIp, tliis perliaps is ihe 

 most imporlfint, anci to a Vlrifiiiian, iho most dif- 

 ficult. Experience aff'oicis up hut little light upon 

 the suiiject. Tlie practice in Virginia, heretofore, 

 has heen to cultivate our laiicl.-^ more with a view 

 to immediate profii, than wiili any regard to the 

 future. All the variou.=i f-oils in the country east- 

 ward of the mountain?, Iiave been uf^ed in the 

 same way, and the same crops have been culti- 

 vated by all, without re<raril lo the fiiness of the 

 soil, or to the situan'on of the larm. Every thing 

 that could be drawn from it has been eagerly 

 taken, without giving any thing in return, by ame- 

 horating crops, manure, or even rest. The lands 

 have either borne, in succession, exhausting crnps, 

 or it has been as much or more injured by impro- 

 per use of it in pasture, as it is Ikisely called. 



In fixing on a rolatioti, a farmer should ascer- 

 tain what crops are best suited lo his farm, and in 

 what succession surh crops ouixht to follow eaeh 

 other, so as to make (lie greaiest possible profii, 

 consistently, not only wiih keeping liis land in 

 good heart, but in au improving condition. "A 

 judicious rotation of cio[is is the ground-work of 

 general imnrovemeni. If a judicious system be 

 adopted and persevereil in, it cannot liiil. No 

 mode of execution can make i:p for a defective 

 one. The same crops which under one system 

 would be unprofitable and injurious to the land, 

 under another rotation, with intervening amelio- 

 rating crops, might not only ho profitable, but 

 might promote its fertility." What I shall sug- 

 gest to the society upon this subject, will be the 

 result of my own experience and observations, 

 assisted liy all that I have been able to derive 

 from the English and Scolch writers — making 

 (he necessary allowance for dillerence of climate, 

 soil and products. I have, witliout scruple, avail- 

 ed myself of their suggestions, whenever they 

 appeared rational, and more particularly, when 

 they were founded upon facts properly vouched 

 for. In speaking of the agriculture ol Great IJri- 

 tain, I cannot deny myself the satisfaction of ex- 

 pressing my warmest admiraiion of the exalted 

 merit and patriotism of the distinguished men of 

 that counir}', who have, by devoting their talents. 

 lime and money, to agriculiural pursuits, brought 

 thai most useful art to a perlijction unknown to 

 their ancestors, or lo the people of" any oilier 

 country. The Duke of Bedford, Mr. Yonnur, 

 Lord Kames, Mr. Anderson, Sir John Sinclair, 

 Mr. Coke, Lord Sommerville, and others, may 

 have less splendor attached to their characters, 

 but I have liitle doubt, that they have been more 

 usefully employed than Mr. Pitt, Lord ("aetle- 

 reagh, the Duke of Weilinglon, or Lord Nelson. 

 I trust the people of Virginia will not be less at- 

 tentive to the improvemeiil of a country so de 

 fcervcdly dear to them. 

 Vol. VI1I.-73 



1 will consider, first, the principles on which 

 rotations ought to be arranged ; next, the various 

 sorts of rotations which have been adopted in Vir- 

 ifinia, (or different periods of two, three, four, five, 

 six or seven years ; and lastly, any miscellaneous 

 particulars connected with this branch of inquiry. 



It is not believed that the same land, without 

 some interval, will continue to yield the same 

 plant to advantage; there may be some excep- 

 tions, but they can only occur where the land is 

 the richest alluvion soil, or is frequently and hea- 

 vily manured. A farmer should, therefore, avoid 

 frequent repetitions of the same articles in his ro- 

 latioiis. The propriety of adopting any particu- 

 lar rotation must depend on the climate; for it 

 would be absurd to attempt to make gourd-seed 

 corn and sweet potatoes in Greenbrier; a light, 

 sandy land should never be selected for grass, nor 

 cold, wet, stiff land for corn ; on the situation of 

 the fiirm in regard to markets, for some articles 

 will pay well in some situations that would be un- 

 saleable in others ; and upon the condition of the 

 soil, whether (eriile or exhausted. A farmer can- 

 not carry on his business, unless he has various 

 kinds of crops upon his firm, if he had nothing 

 but wheat and tobacco, he miiiht not be able to 

 procure corn and hay. By having various arti- 

 cles, he does not run so much risk, either in regard 

 to the season or the sale of his produce; and if 

 he fails in one article, he may succeed in another. 

 The crops should be so arranged that the labor of 

 ploughing tor each, of sowing, weeding, &c. shall 

 proceed in a regular succession, and the labor or 

 business of the liirin should not be too much 

 crowded at any one season of the year, but liiat 

 the crops produced on the farm should be culti- 

 vated by the same hands, (except in harvest,) 

 and the same teams. Avoid, as much as possi- 

 ble, having two grain crops in succession ; but a'- 

 ternaiely to liave grain and grass crops ; in thiii 

 country, a deviation from this rule must be ad- 

 miited ; so that small grain of some kind, must 

 succeed corn: this is unavoidable, but must not 

 recur too frequenily. To raise those crops most 

 likely to be proJuciive of manure, Ihe use of which 

 cannot be dispensed with, under any rotation that 

 can he devised. To arranire the crops so as to 

 keep the land in good condition and increasing in 

 Itjrtility. Variations in the rotation will be found 

 necessary and expedient, as the condition of the 

 farm may alter. Keeping these maxims in view, 

 the various systems that have been practised in 

 Virftinia shall now he considered. 



7'(('o 7/ears' mtaiion. — When wheat was first 

 made a crop fir market in that part of the stale 

 that had been previoiisij- devoted to the culture of 

 tobacco, the rotation was corn and wheat alter- 

 nately. It was soon found that this course was 

 loo hard lor the land, and that wheat and corn, in 

 such rapid succession, gave precarious and scanty 

 crops, and that even the river botioiris could not 

 bear such a scourge. 1 am satisfied that nothing 

 short of manuring, very heavily, the ijalf that is 

 in corn, will justify the expectaiion of either good 

 crops, or preserving the lerliliiy the laud might 



