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FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 10 



Jiut if neither reaaoning nor precept can point 

 out always a riijht or perfect rotation, it is easy 

 enoii<i;!i to learn from both vvliat is wrong and in- 

 jurious. And we can scarcely find any regular ro- 

 tation in this country, which does notolTend against 

 some admitted principle and rule, and the most 

 common have scarcely one redeeming quality, no 

 matter by what test, or principles, the practice be 

 tried. 



The most important, and indeed indispensable 

 requisites ofany good scheme of rotation, orcourse 

 of crops, I talie to be the (bllowing; and the ob- 

 servance of them may be termed the three primary 

 rules for rotations. 1st. That the sevei-al crops 

 which lorm the course, are among the most profi- 

 table to the cultivator, in the circumstances in 

 which he is placed, of climate, soil and market, 

 2nd. That the whole course ol'crops, taken through, 

 is profitable to the land — serving to increase its pro- 

 ductiveness, if poor — and at least retaining its pro- 

 ductiveness, if already rich. 3rd. That each crop 

 in the rotation serves to prepare for and aid the 

 cultivation and production of the next which is to 

 ibllow it, instead of obstructing either, or both. 



The two first of these requisites, either expressly 

 or by implication, may be considered as embraced 

 in every theoretical scheme of rotation, and aimed 

 (however ineffectually) to be preserved in every 

 judicious farmer's practice. The Oiird is almost 

 disregarded by all, and is certainly not by any 

 placed in the important position, or viewed in the 

 light, which I think it deserves. 



If all these three requisites be secured, any ro- 

 tation will be good ; if either be neglected, or be. 

 but imperfectly secured, the rotation will certainly 

 be a bad one. The best devised rotation lor the 

 improvement of the land and its products, and per- 

 fecting the tillage, would be inadmissible, if any 

 of the crops were of such kind as not to be cither 

 sold, consimied, or otherwise profitably used, by the 

 l;*riner. Neither would the ixrealest annual sale.s 

 justify another rotation, if it worked to impoverish 

 the firm. And even if the kind of crops were to 

 he the most profitable, and ihe improvement of 

 fertility regularly advancing, what will it profit the 

 proprietor, if" the rotation operates to produce weeds 

 and depredating insects in such numbers as greatly 

 to increase his labors, and also to diminish their 

 proihicts? 



Scientific agriculturists liave laid down so many 

 principles, or rules, to be observed in planning ro- 

 tations, that it is impossible in practice to observe 

 all, or perhaps hall of them. Tiuis the English 

 writers insist, perhaps more strongly than on any 

 other point, that green (or grdss and roots, or le- 

 gummous) crops, and white (or grain) crops, 

 should regularly be alternatetl. Others, that tap- 

 looted plants should alternate with fibrous and 

 shallow rooted. But all these are minor conside- 

 rations compared to the foregoing ; and each or all 

 of" ihera might come in conflict, in the circun,i- 

 siances of" this country, with one or more of the 

 more important and indispensable requisites. 



The first rule which I have above slated, that 

 the crops should be among the most profitable to 

 the cultivator, is almost the only one which di- 

 rects the farmers of this country; and yet even 

 that object would seem to be lost sight of, in the 

 miserable and lutile means used to reach it. The 

 nature of the soil and its absolute unfitness for 

 other crops, had generally caused liie selcciion of 



some one or more suitable crofis for each agricultural 

 region ; and when once thus forced upon the culii- 

 vators, the Citstom of the place has made this 

 course of cropping general, if not universal, through 

 that region, though numerous exceptions, even if 

 the general rule were good, would t)e demanded 

 by ditlerences of soil, or of other circumstances. 

 Thus, Indian corn is the great crop of lower and. 

 middle Virginia, followed by wheat in the upper 

 and richer part, or by oats where the soil is (]uite too- 

 poor or loo sandy for wheat. A young farmer, who 

 commences operations without any consideration 

 of the wants of his soil, or of tlie market, adopts the 

 usual crops of his neighborhood. If wheat be the 

 small grain generally raised, he sows it even on 

 his most sandy and his wettest arable lands. His 

 corn-culture is as large as his land and his labor per- 

 mit, and is pursued without change, even though 

 some years the market price may be (as it has 

 been in lower Virginia) less than 25 cents the 

 bushel. Yet during this time, and every year, 

 Irish potatoes, brought from New England, are 

 selling in all our towns, (and bought too by many 

 of the farmers,) at ^1 the bushel; and thus the 

 product of 20 acres in corn, or in wheal, is ex- 

 changed for that of half an acre in potatoes. Yet 

 we can make, in lower V^irginia, as good potatoes 

 (J have often seen belter,) than any brought from 

 the north. By a still more unaccountable impro- 

 vidence and absence of all calculation, hay-making 

 is totally neglected, even on the rich and wet low- 

 grounds of the Roanoke-; and where the soil is 

 j the most admirably suited for grass, it is regularly 

 and most laboriously ploughed and tilled, ito pro- 

 duce bad and very precarious crops of o-rain. 

 And, to come to smaller and more li-equent depar- 

 I tures from this rule, we may see on almost every 

 farm which has various soils, the most intractable 

 clays put in com, which requires a sandy soil — 

 wheat on sands^the steepest lands and most lia- 

 ble to be washed, sutjected to the plough, and al.'-:o 

 ihe wettest spots, even though their laborious til- 

 lage may .obtain scarcely any product of grain. 

 The observance of these neglected minor points, 

 (and yet very important to profit,) woulil alone 

 produce a great reibrmation in our farming. 



The second requisite, (that the course of crop- 

 ping should permit the imi)rovement of the land,) 

 is aimed to be secured by but a small proportion 

 of our cultivators; and the third rule by siill fewer. 

 Under peculiar circumstances, either one of these 

 requisites may be so increased in importance, that 

 the others may be, and ought to be, for profit, 

 comparatively neglected. Or the object of either 

 may be made so easy by peculiar circumstances, 

 and by the use of means not belonging to the 

 fiirm, th.at the otherwise necessary security of that 

 object, liom the rotation, may be neglected. Thus, 

 where the neighborhood of a town offers to a far- 

 mer regular demand and high prices for roots and 

 hay, and dairy products, it would be foolish lor 

 him to make grain or tobacco his most important 

 crops, which others, at ten times his distance from 

 market, could produce even more cheaply. And 

 with the means of purchasing town maimres, ho 

 would wisely adopt what would otherwise be a too 

 severe and exhausting rotation of crops. 



I shall now proceed to subject to the test of the 

 three rules which have been laid down, the most 

 common rotations of eastern Virginia, as well a.s 

 some other schemes wliich may not yet have been 



