THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



263 



But when spread on clover, not too thickly, imme- 

 diately from the woods, there is little trouble, no 

 possibility of injury, and a decided improvement 

 to the clover, and of course to the next wheat 

 crop, and to the land. Wheat straw, spread in 

 July, or later, on the young clover sown the 

 year before, is also a valuable manure ; and may 

 be applied most advantageously on the poorest 

 spots, by bringing back to the field return loads of 

 straw, when carting the wheat from the field to 

 the thrashing machine. 



Another, and perhaps the best mode of dress- 

 ing by piae leaves, (which are best, because they 

 will not be blown away by high winds,) is on 

 wheat, as soon as possible alter it is sown. This 

 is loo busy a time (or much of such manuring to be 

 then done. But it will be especially beneficial to 

 such extent as it can be done. When so applied, 

 the leaves, merely as covering, protect the wheat 

 from being killed by the winter's cold, and from 

 violent alternations of temperature. And they do 

 the same for the clover sown alterwards, and also 

 protect the young plants by shade and moisture. 

 And besides these merely mechanical modes of 

 action, the leaves serve as well as manure, both 

 10 the wheat and to the clover, as they could in 

 any other mode of application. An important 

 objection however to this mode may exist i( the 

 leaves serve to shelter and protect chinch bugs, 

 as coarse farm-yard litter does, if thus laid on 

 wheat, when those destructive insects are nu- 

 merous. 



Two other modes of top-dressing have been 

 practised and approved by good larmers, in difi'er- 

 ent parts of Virginia. The first is of well- rotted 

 manure, applied on wheat during winter and 

 spring. It was practised by Mr. Richard Samp- 

 son, and his account ol it may be seen at page 58 

 vol. i. of Farmers' Register. The practice is 

 doubtless good when manure so rotted is on hand, 

 and the most convenient application is to the 

 wheat field. The other mode, which was in use 

 on some of the Rappahannock farms, was to ap- 

 ply the coarse unrolted manure on the surface of 

 the corn-field, after the corn had been planted, or 

 had come up. 1 have also practised this plan 

 when much more convenient to do so ; and would 

 care but little to choose between this top-dressing 

 and ploughing the manure under, before planting 

 the corn. But neither to wheat or corn ought 

 the top-dressing to be given, if the clover land 

 is as convenient, and as much needing the ma- 

 nuring. 



VII. — Rotation of crops. 



One of the best indications of the agriculture of 

 any region being in an improving slate, though 

 this improvement be not yet much extended, is 

 the regard recently paid to the proper principles of 

 rotations of crops. And if no regard be had to 

 this part of husbandry, there will not be good 

 "farming, no matter what may be the goodness of 

 the soil, or the industry and skill of the cultivator. 

 If judged by this test, the agriculture of lower 

 Virginia is making good progress towards an im- 

 proved state, though yet very far below the point 

 aimed at. There is no rotation universally ad- 

 mitted to be the best, even under the same and 

 most favorable circumstances. But almost every 

 intelligent farmer at least exerts his reasoning fa- 

 culties on this subject, and adopts such rotation as 



his judgment makes out to be the best for his par- 

 ticular Circumstances. Still, no one of even the 

 best farmers and most successful improvers, seems 

 to be entirely satisfied with his own system of ro- 

 tation. And this very discontent serves to prove 

 that each one is striving to find out and to pursue 

 what is the best course, without being bigoted to 

 even that which he so far prefers. These remarks 

 however apply only to a few of the best farmers ; 

 who, however, as in all cases when agreed them- 

 selves as to the best courses, will serve as exem- 

 plars and guides to all others who can or will pro- 

 fit by any instruction or example. 



The Eastern Shore two-field rotation, oflst, corn, 

 2d, oats, lollowed the same year by volunteer Ma- 

 goihy bay bean, serving as a manure crop for the 

 corn of the next (the third) year, however 

 scourging, without great attention to manuring, is 

 a rotation sustained by reason, as well as by ex- 

 perience. 



The old three-shift rotation, common on the' 

 greater number of larms which have any rotation 

 at all, or where there is any thing deserving 

 the name of farming, is 1st, corn, 2d, wheat or oats, 

 3d, the field at rest from tillage, but under close 

 grazing. This is a most exhausting course. But 

 the same frame- work, altered only by the land 

 being limed, regularly sown in clover on the 

 wheat, and the clover grazed only slightly and 

 late in autumn, and the greater part turned in for 

 manure, is a very improving, cleansing, and alto- 

 gether excellent rotation for light loams, or good 

 corn lands. This is the rotation on the lighter of 

 the two Upper Brandon farms, belonging to Mr. 

 Wm. B. Harrison. 



The rotation most approved, however, and 

 most practised by the best larmers on James river, 

 and also on the lighter soils of the Messrs. Wick- 

 ham, on the Pamunkey, is the lourrfield rotation, 

 of 1, corn, 2, wheat, with clover sown, 3, clover, 

 turned in lor manure to 4, wheat. This seems to be 

 a very severe rotation, and is even so considered by 

 some of the best farmers who pursue the plan. 

 However, this rotation, with all the objections to it, 

 boththeoreticaland practical, is connected with and 

 serves to exhibit most admirable and profitable 

 farming, and also improvement of land such as 

 may well compare, in these respects, with any 

 in this country. Such a rotation demands, and will 

 not do without, a good soil, good manuring, good 

 clover, (and therelore marling or liming, or a na- 

 turally calcareous soil,) good teams and good 

 ploughing, and in every respect good farmmg. 

 He who can meet all these requisitions will suc- 

 ceed admirably, both as to profit and improve- 

 ment, with the Jbur-field rotation ; but if he fal- 

 ter in the work, he will be soon obstructed by in- 

 superable difficulties, and be defeated, and driven 

 from this course of cultivation. 



VIII. — Implements of husbandry and tillage. 



Great improvements have been made within 

 the last 25 years in agricultural utensils and ma- 

 chinery. Before that time, two-horse ploughs were 

 rarely used, and only on the few richest and best 

 cultivated farms, lor breaking lands generally, 

 and on the rich low-grounds and perhaps a few 

 acres more of lots, on some other farms of middling 

 grade, as to fertility and management. On the 

 far greater number of farms there was neither a 

 two-horse plough, nor a mould-board plough for 



