568 



SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 



let year, Cotton with yard ma|lst year, Corn with peas 



nure, &c 

 2d .. Corn with peas. 

 3d .. Small grains with grass 



seed 

 4th .. Grass depastured. 

 5th .. do. do. 



6th .. Cotton. 



2d .. Small grains with grass 

 seeds. 



:id .. Grass depastured. 



4 th .. do. do. 



5th .. Cotton. 



6lh .. Cotton with yard ma- 

 nure, &c. 



1st year. Small grains with grass 

 seed. 



2d .. Gra.ss depastured. 



3d .. do. do. 



4 th .. Cotton. 



5th .. Cotton with yard ma- 

 nure. &c. 



6th ,. Com with pea.?. 



Supposing each of these fiehis to contain -50 acre.-^, tlii.s would give 100 

 acres of grass, 100 of cotton, and 100 of grain (-50 of corn and .50 of small 

 grains) annually. 



By this course all the hauled* manure, each year, would be given to 

 one-sixth of the land, and consequently the same field would not receive 

 it but once in six years — yet cilery crop would be adequatehj manured. 

 The first cotton crop would receive an ample amount fi-om the grass roots 

 and the droppings of animals for two years ; the second, from the hauled 

 manure ; the corn, from the manure left by the previous crop, and, if 

 needed, by a small amount of cotton seed, ashes, (or some other mineral 

 fertilizer,) in the hill ; the small grain crop would be amply manured by 

 the peas sown with the preceding corn ; and the land would go back into 

 grass in excellent " heart," and, if the previous tillage was what it should 

 be, entii'ely free from weeds. The corn might intervene between the two 

 cotton crops, and thus remove the objection which exists against taking 

 two crops of the same kind in succession. But I placed cotton 4th, be- 

 cause there should come a manured crop at this period of the rotation, and 

 I thought it better to give the manure to the more valuable crop, and be- 

 cause cotton, as the 5th crop, would not admit of the cultivation of the pea, 

 to provide manure for the small grain succeeding. The rotation might be 

 thus varied, however, if circumstances should seem to render it desirable. 



I have put down no meadow in the rotation on the arahJc lands. But 

 I believe the growth of hay to a certain extent, not only to supply any or- 

 dinary deficiency in 'winter feed beyond the quantity furnished by the 

 usual sources — but to guard against contingencies, would be good econo- 

 my in all cases. All farm animals must be well wintered, to give a prof- 

 itable return in summer ; and those occasional scarcities of fodder always 

 liable to overtake the farmer, should be providently guarded against. It 

 is never considered poor economy, in the North, to have a few tons of hay 

 even to summer over. The necessary meadows for the plantation might 

 be made on some of the less arable lands before referred to — and, when 

 the tillage lands are in an uncommonly fertile state and pasturage plenty, 

 it xoould do to mow one of the grass crops (the second one) of the above 

 rotation, though, if avoidable, I should think the other course entirely pref- 

 erable. 



On poorer lands — the poorest class which can be profitably devoted to 



cotton growing — I would propose a five-shift course, as follows : 



1st year, Grass depastured. 3<1 year, Cotton. 



2d -• do. do. 4th .. Com witli peas. 



5tli year, Small grains with grass seed. 



The manure to be given to the third or fourth crop, according to circum- 

 stances, or divided between them. 



On lands of a still inferior grade, but which it may be expedient to^ 

 plow at intervals, I would propose the following : 



1st year, Grass depastured. 4th year. Grass depastured (or mown.) 



Sd .. do. do. 5th .. Corn wiili jieas. 



3d .. do. do. 6th .. Small grains witli grass seed. 



* I mean by this, the manure from cxiery source which is carted upon the land in qunntity, as contradis- 

 tinguished from that which is dropped there by animujp, miidc by plowing under vegeuiblos, or carried oa^ 

 Id small qunntilics to drop in the hill, &c. 

 (1138) 



