ROTATION OF CROPS. 26T 



Here, our course will not admit of more than one lioed crop, 

 which should be followed by oats, barley or spring wheat. It 

 should be recollected that in this course the great object is to 

 secure a good growth of grass. In order to this, there should 

 be but one ploughing, and that should be thoroughly done. 

 The manure should be composted, spread upon the surface and 

 harrowed in. The next spring after the first crop has been 

 taken off, if it has been in corn, the stubble should be cut off 

 close to the ground with a bog hoe. Then go over the ground 

 with a heavy ox-cultivator, until the hills are torn up and the 

 whole well pulverized. The ground is now ready for the grain 

 and grass seeds ; and, if the cultivation has been what it ought, 

 there will be a reasonable prospect of success in the under- 

 taking. Care should be taken throughout not to disturb the 

 old sod, as the object is to create a fine tilth upon the surface. 

 The other course, of which I am to speak, occupies a middle 

 ground between the two already discussed. This course ex- 

 tends through eight years — four in grass and four in cultivated 

 crops. The first crop, on breaking up the sod, may be either 

 Indian or broomcorn, according to the character of the soil ; 

 the next rye or wheat. Oats are not as good, unless they are 

 cut before they are ripe and used as hay ; for they are very 

 liable to blast, when sown upon the partially rotted turf. An 

 excellent plan — when it can be readily carried out — is to turn 

 under the stubble, from which the grain is taken, near the latter 

 part of July ; and then to sow turnip seed in drills, putting fine 

 compost into the drills ; or, when this is not to be had, ashes 

 or guano may be strewed upon the top of the hills before the 

 plants are up, which gives them a vigorous start. Turnips, if 

 they are kept clean, will leave the land in fine condition for the 

 succeeding crop, which may be roots ; or, if these are not culti- 

 vated, corn again. I have known corn to do remarkably well 

 coming as a third crop ; in one instance, producing fifty bushels 

 per acre ; and this on land naturally not at all favorable to its 

 production. By the end of this year, if there has been proper 

 cultivation, the land will be ready for grass seed, which may be 

 sown the next spring, in connection with oats or barley. 



In all that has been said thus far, I suppose a liberal supply 

 of manure. No good farmer will think of conducting his opera- 



