614 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



iilusirate the difficulty of selecting specimens o( 

 even what are supposed to be well-known grasses. 

 Knowing so little uf this grass, it would not 

 have been described or meuiioiied, but lor its near 

 resemblance to the common poverty gra-s. The 

 j1. dichotoma was first gathered intermixed with 

 ^/. gracilis, growing on poor light land in Surry 

 county. And wlien its distinct charac.eristics 

 had been pointed out, plants were observed stand- 

 ing singly and widely scattered, on almost every 

 untrodden part ol the clay roads, where no other 

 plant grew, or perhaps could live. From this 

 single (act alone it was inferred that the growth 

 of this grass indicated a still gieatesr degree of 

 poverty in soil than the poverty grass. This 

 species grows from 10 to 15 inches higli, with haid 

 wiry stalks and narrow leaves, like the smaller 

 poveriy grass, but differing not only by greater 

 size, but also in the stalk diverging slightly horn 

 a straight line at every joint, making at each a 

 very obtuse angle, E R. 



ON THE NECESSITY OP A PROPEU UOTATION 

 OF CROPS. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register, 



To improve agriculture is to discharge a duty 

 which we owe to ourselves, our posterity, our 

 eouniry, and our God. If the suggestions o/'sell- 

 intereit be attended to, we are admonished to im- 

 prove our land. If the claims of posterity are ac- 

 knowledged, we are bound to improve our soils, 

 Jf philanthropy has an abiding-place in our 

 bosoms, and the welfare of our common country 

 beat heart, we may render her a permanent benefit 

 by turning our attention \o the improvement of 

 agriculture. If we feel grateful to a kind and be- 

 Jieficent Providence lor the many blessings that 

 we enjoy, we should improve our lands as an im- 

 perative duty. The individual that exhausts the 

 soil by an improper course of tillage, not only dis- 

 regards his own interest and the claims of posteri- 

 ty, but he inflicts a serious wound on the prosper- 

 ity of his country, and assists to choke up that 

 channel through which so many blessings are 

 made to flow. These reflections might be follow- 

 ed out to almost any length, but 1 forbear. My 

 object at present is to point out the way in which 

 (as [ think) the agriculture ofthe country may be 

 improved — and in no way more sjjeedily than by 

 the adoption of a proper rotation of crops. 



No branch of our business seems to be less un- 

 derstood than this. It must be obvious to every 

 one thai the selection of suitable crops to succeed 

 each other is a subject of the greatest importance 

 to the practical agriculturist, and one upon which 

 essentially depends the improvement ofthe larmer. 

 It appears to be a well-established fact, that there 

 are certain juices or substances contained in the 

 soils, either in a liquid or gaseous form, that 

 are taken up or consumed as food by certain 

 plants, while those same substances would be re- 

 jected by certain other plants. If tjiis be admit- 

 ted, we at once see the necessity of so arrancrinc 

 our crops that all the juices ofthe soil may at'pro'^ 

 per times be taken up by valuable crojj's. The 

 propriety of this course seems to be fully under- 

 stood by farmers generally in regard to the man- 

 agement of their slock. Our barns cou:ain Ibod 



highly nutritious to stock ; but while we find the 

 corn greedily devoured by hogs, they reject the 

 corn leaves, which is found to be excellent food for 

 cattle. We therefore introduce cattle to consume 

 that which is rejected by hogs, well knowing the 

 litter from the cattle to be good food lor acorn 

 crop, and besides, the cattle of themselves are 

 valuable. It requires but little penetration to dis- 

 cover the analogy between the two cases. At the 

 expense of a great deal of labor we cultivate and 

 gather in our crop, which is all profitably con- 

 sumed by diflerent kinds of animals ; but if we 

 were confined to one species alone, and that part 

 of the crop which it rejected was an entire loss, 

 larming would indeed be a poor business. It also 

 requires a great deal of labor to amass any consi- 

 derable stock of manure or food for plants, it 

 seems equally plain, if we have but one or even 

 two kinds of crops to consume this stock of food, 

 we have every reason to believe that a large pro- 

 portion of that would be rejected by these crops, 

 consequently a heavy loss is sustained by the 

 farmer. 



Ifthe subject was exhausted, and nothing more 

 could be said in support of a piojjer rotation of 

 crops, 1 see no reason why every farmer should 

 not immediately turn liis attention to the accom- 

 plishment of this object, but theVe are other argu- 

 ments that might be used, and strung ones too, 

 and if used by a competent person they would be 

 irresistible. 



1 shall now attempt briefly, in my feeble and 

 imperlect way, to point out those crops, and the 

 manner in which they should succeed each other, 

 to form what I conceive to be a proper rotation 

 of crops. And to enumerate some of the advan- 

 tages that will arise therefrom. I wish not to be 

 understood as ofliering any thing new, but only 

 recommending alter a partial trial its superiority. 

 And I fancy my opinions will have more weight 

 with some farmers, who may entertain an old fash- 

 ioned preliirence for that which falls from the pen 

 ofthe practical farmer, when 1 inform them that I 

 am a |)ractical farmer. My only means of sup- 

 port are drawn from ttie soil, and I have, within the 

 space ol seven years, nearly doubled the product 

 of my land, without the aid of any other means 

 than those within the reach of almost every tiller 

 of the soil. The reader, may here wish me to 

 stop, and answer the question, how have you 

 eflected this? I will answer it. I have used 

 sand on some lands, clay on others, and lime on 

 nearly all. Thereby improving the texture of 

 the soil, and forming a permanent basis (or im- 

 provement. All the vegetable matter within my 

 reach is also bestowed on the land. But the im- 

 provement has been eflected mainly through the 

 instrumentality of a proper rotation of crops, 

 which places at my disposal a liberal supply of 

 vegetable matter, vvhich is as follows : 1st, Indian 

 corn, which receives nearly all the manure, and 

 prepares the land for a broad leafed or green crop, 

 2d, peas, which keep the land in a good state for 

 the reception of wheat and clover, or oats and 

 clover, and obviate the very serious disadvantages 

 of two narrow leafed or white crops succeeding 

 each other, 3d, wheat and clover or oats and 

 clover. 4ih, grazed, Thegrazingof land, so much 

 abhorred by some persons who esteem themselves 

 good liirmers, may be introduced to gre^ ad- 

 vantage. It supersedes the necessity of a standing 



