FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 1. 



wheat is not so large a one as the first — and it 

 would be expecting too much for it to be so, after 

 two other crops previously — but even then, I be- 

 lieve it is a better one than is generally made un- 

 der the old system of three-fields; and if the aver- 

 age is taken of the two crops it is indisputably 

 so. 



W. B. H. next says, "cannot a standing pas- 

 ture be combined with the three-field course," &c. 

 &c. I have before said that such an occurrence 

 had neveryet met my observation. Those who are 

 impressed with the necessity of it are too reluc- 

 tant to commence it. by surrendering a portion of 

 their arable surface, (which, however, is not al- 

 ways necessary.) And many with whom I have 

 conversed, are impressed with the necessity of a 

 change of system, but cannot bring their minds to 

 the conclusion of surrendering a larger, for a 

 smaller portion of land for corn: for say they, "one- 

 third of my farm, now scarcely furnishes me with 

 corn — how then can I possibly make bread on on- 

 ly a fourth?" "But," it might be answered, "are 

 you not now on the eve of starvation under your 

 present system? Are your lands improving; or do 

 you realize any thing from them?" "No, I sell 

 enough corn barely to pay my blacksmith's ac- 

 count, &c. and of wheat, if it should be a good 

 season, to defray my other expenses, with great 

 economy." "But how are your children to be ben- 

 efited by this? How are you enabled even to give 

 them a liberal education, independent of furnish- 

 ing them with a start in the world? — Your parents 

 left but yourself, and you are barely enabled to 

 live with your means, what must become of your 

 six children?" "Why, my father and my grand- 

 father, &c. pursued this same system, and made 

 money with which to buy this same estate, and 

 raised a large family." "But your ancestors lived 

 in better times: lands were then cheap; and they 

 had these same lands that you are now almost 

 starving upon in their primitive state— the rich 

 virgin soil to work upon, and from which to make 

 money; but they have left none of its richness for 

 you, from which to do the same? It is now a 

 waste, gullied and barren. And what has brought 

 it to this condition? Has it not been this same 

 three-field course that you now adhere to? Has it 

 ever been under any other? "No." "Well, by 

 adhering to it, can your lands be improved, or 

 your condition bettered?" "No — but before I can 

 diminish my cultivation for corn, (which now 

 barely supports me) I must remove to the west." 

 Yes, sir, this is a true state of things. And this 

 very three-field course has been the principal 

 cause of the great tide of emigration to the west, 

 and until that is abandoned, it must continue to 

 flow. 



W. B. H. says again — "is it not better to ma- 

 nure one-third with clover, under the three-field 



[course, than one-fourth under the four-field?" 

 Without this standing pasture I must say, there 

 will be but little benefit derived from the clover 

 under the three-field course. But even admitting it 

 was not grazed off, as is customary, I question very 

 much whether the benefits are not greater towards 

 improvement, when turned under in the months of 

 August and September, when it is in its greatest 

 degree of perfection, than when ploughed under in 

 the winter or spring, when there is scarcely a ves- 

 tige of it to be seen on the land. A good clover 

 lay for wheat may, much of it, be seen the next 

 winter, when the same land is turned up for corn, 

 in a perfectly decomposed state. And this fact 

 goes a great way too in supporting the belief that 

 one-fourth will make more corn than one-third. I 

 have frequently when the clover has been a very 

 heavy crop, taken up handfuls at a time remain- 

 ing in this rotted state. Under the foregoing im- 

 pressions, I doubt very much whether an estate 

 would not improve the faster, when under any sys- 

 tem the clover remained but one year. But there 

 remains not a doubt on my mind, when, in addi- 

 tion to the clover, is added the greater quantity of 

 manure. 



I would remind W. B. H. and Mr. John Wick- 

 ham, that it is not always the richer soil that is 

 most successful in clover. On the contrary, we 

 frequently see rich portions of a field fail, and poor 

 hill-sides succeed. The soil 'should be freshened 

 or altered in some way, either by manures, or by 

 cultivation. Land which has been heavily dosed 

 with clover, will most generally fail, if seeded in it 

 again, before it has gone through some preparato- 

 ry crop, and will become what is termed clover 

 sick. Poor fresh land, we frequently see succeed 

 better, and bring better clover than much richer 

 land that has before borne it. I think our four- 

 field system peculiarly adapted to the clover hus- 

 bandry. The land from the previous cultivation, 

 seems to be in the very best state to receive it 

 again. I am confirmed in this fact by never hav- 

 ing failed in my life, and if W. B. H. will observe, 

 farms which are under this system, seem always to 

 have better clover fields. 



I hope, sir, I have said enough to condemn the 

 three-field system as a rotation suited to us. I 

 will briefly refer to W. B. H's. favorite system of 

 five-fields. There appears to me to be a want of 

 consistency in his preference for it, that I cannot 

 exactly understand. Perhaps it is for my want of 

 a better knowledge of it; and if wrong, I hope to 

 be corrected. My idea of it is this: that one-fifth 

 is in corn, two-fifths in wheat, one-fifth in pastu- 

 rage, and the remaining one-fifth in clover. To 

 be more particular, and that I may be the better 

 understood, I will convey my idea of it by the fol- 

 lowing diagram. 



