178 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



except that there would be one-eixth, instead of 

 one-lbunh in corn, and two-sixilis in small grain 

 instead ofone-lburth, making three-Fixihs or one- 

 half in cultivation, as in the other. Now locality, 

 nature ot soil, &c., must determine every larmer 

 as to the rotation best adapted to his situation and 

 circumstances. But I have no doubt, that upon 

 wheat land the six-field rotation will be (uund 

 most profitable, and upon all 1 have no doubt 

 most improving. I am a decided friend to grass 

 and stock. Without the one, we cannot have the 

 other. With good grass we can have good stock 

 with which we can enrich our lands, and give 

 plenty and comfort to all its inhabitants, whether 

 of the bipftd or quadruped race ; and in a little 

 while I know by experience that the net return 

 of the long will be better than the short rotation. 

 Having now, Mr. Editor, answered as lar as 

 my exjicrience goes all the queries of your cor- 

 respondent N., and I dare say by this time you 

 are heartily tired of my prosing, I will subsciibe 

 myself, your friend — and a 



FRIEND TO LENGTHENED ROTATIONS. 



jfpril 9th, 1842. 



[If our correspondent had not chosen to with- 

 hold his name, he would have been known to be, 

 B8 we believe, a personal acquaintance and friend 

 oi all the individuals whose names he has men- 

 tioned, and one who has visited most il not all the 

 farms particularly referred to. But still we think 

 that he is mistaken in regard to some of the cir- 

 cumstances which he supposes to exist, and es- 

 pecially as to the abundance of the means of 

 fertilization possessed or available. But we will 

 not undertake to make the corrections which ap- 

 pear to be needed, lest, for want of proper infor- 

 mation, we might also err, and in more important 

 matters. It is threfore left to the farmers named, 

 all of whom have been our much valued corre- 

 spondents on this general subject, to correct any 

 mistakes deemed in any way important, into 

 which our present correspondent may have fallen. 



In respect to the scheme of having clover to 

 follow corn, it would undoubtedly be an improve- 

 ment of the highest value, if the crop can be ren- 

 dered at all certain. But, judging from our own 

 experiments of several years' continuance, (as 

 reported formerly in the Farmers' Register,) and 

 which were made in the anxious hope and san- 

 guine expectation of successful results, we greatly 

 fear that this admirable plan of rotation cannot 

 be realized, even on marled lands. But still we 

 are far from desiring to discourage farther and lull 

 trials — and shall rejoice in learning that the dif- 

 ficulties and disappointments, to which we were 

 formerly subjected, were not insuperable, and 

 may be ot)viated by more care and better know- 

 ledge.— Ed. F. R. 



OPINIONS OF NORTHERN FARMERS CONCERN- 

 ING LIME. 



From the Massachusetts Ploughman. 



About the year 1836 or '7, I prepared a com- 

 post consisting of 12 loads of peat muck, 4 casks 

 quick lime, and eight loads long manure. On the 

 20th of June I turned over about three-fourths of 

 an acre of green sward and manured in the hill 

 with the above compos', and planted with pota- 

 toes. A more luxuriant growth of vines I never 

 saw, which I atiribiited to the manure, but have 

 since given the credit to the gieen crop of grass 

 turned in. Owing to dry weather and early frost 

 the crop of potatoes was rather small. However, 

 I considered the theory on the use of lime well 

 established, not only by the result of my experi- 

 ment, but I had most of the agricultural papers 

 on my side. The next spring I purchased 50 

 casks of lime which I used in nearly half as many 

 different ways, the last of which was to place 

 about a dozen loads of lime and peat muck com- 

 post around ilie roots of some apple trees, to pre- 

 vent the grass Irom growing, which succeeded lo 

 admiration, and this I am convinced is the only 

 benefit I have ever derived Irom the use of lime 

 as a manure. This is the only eseenijal humbufT 

 that agricultural writers who are better versed in 

 theory than in practice have ever fastened upon 

 my shoulders, and probably will be the last (or 

 some time to come, (or my confidence in what they 

 say is almost eniirelj' lost. 



[We congratulate "A Highland Farmer" that 

 he has escaped with so little loss as the expense 

 of 64 casks of lime and the labor of applyinnr it 

 to his fields. 



The idea of destroying the whole grass crop un- 

 der his apple trees by spreading on lime is not 

 bad. Lime will kill the sward, ihe canker worms, 

 and the manure with which it irf mixed — it is 

 much more certain to kill than to assist the growth 

 of vegetation ; and if it were not too costly we 

 would recommend it to be spread on thistles, 

 bushes, &c., which are to be destroyed. 



In regard to the theories on farming, published 

 by those who have no experience in the business, 

 we are inclined to think that lime will have no 

 efl'ect on them. Their authors have wallowed in 

 lime till their coats are as while as their hands — 

 and still they crawl about and show signs of life, 

 crying lime! lime! They wonder that farmers 

 are so stupid as to doubt the value of lime ; yet 

 the only evidence they can adduce in its favor, on 

 our New England soilff, is (rom theorists who 

 have made no actual trials of it. 



Ever since we first commenced the publication 

 of the Cultivator we have plainly expressed our 

 own views in regard to lime, and we have called 

 on those who might difier from us to exhibit their 

 evidence in its favor. But we receive no evidence. 

 We have opinions as thick as cranberries, but no 

 evidence that can be relied on to show the superior 

 merits of lime in agriculture. 



Beginners in farming who have no ideas of 

 their own must copy what others have written — 

 they are ambitious of making a noise about some- 

 thing or other and they may as well rant about 

 lime as to bawl in favor of Durham cattle which 

 they are driving about the country for sale.] — 

 Editor of Ploughman. 



[The first of the foregoing paragraphs is an ex- 



