294 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



[Aprif 8, 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 1825. 



We have received a series of valuable original papers, 

 from a highly respected correspondent at Salem, C7i 

 the improvemeni of the A"ew England breed of cattle. 

 We shall commence their publication next week. — 



Several other communications are received. 



ROTATION OF CROPS. 



It Is quite time for those cultivator?, who 

 have not yet paid much attention to the sub- 

 ject, to adopt some system with regard to a 

 proper change or rotation of crops. Some soils 

 will bear a continued succession of tiie same 

 6ind of vegetable for an indefinite period. Mr. 

 Nicholson, author of the Fanncr^s Assisla7il, says 

 " We have known an instance of fourteen good 

 crops of wheat raised successively on the same 

 ground ; another of eighteen crops of oat.« ; 

 another of at least ten of barley, and nearly 

 twenty of rye. But these were peculiar soils; 

 and although the sameness of culture u is found 

 successful, no inference is therefoie to be 

 drawn that it was the most protilabie, or that 

 such soils would not eventually lire of their fa- 

 vourite crop? and then be found exhausted and 

 unfit for others. There are some sorts of 

 plants, for instance hemp, rye,and onions, which 

 will flourish year after year on the same soil, 

 provided it is suitable. — Rye, it is said, will 

 succeed, for twenty years or more, in succession, 

 if the suibble is turned in soon after the crop is 

 harvested. Onions grow better on land which 

 has been accustomed to bear them, than in a soil 

 vvhich has not lieen appropriated lo that purpose. 

 Flax, it is said, will not grow well in the same 

 ground oftener than once in seven years; and 

 as a general rule, a change of crops is indispens- 

 able to profitable husbandry. 



Among the divisions whith have been made 

 of crops commonly cultivated by farmers, the 

 principal are liinse ci( cul>nifcrt>^ls crops, and le- 

 guminous crops. Culmiferous plants are -such 

 as have asmooth jointed . 'talk, usually hollow, & 

 at each joint wrapped about with single narrow 

 sharp pointed leaves. In some species howev- 

 er the cn!ni or st.ilk is entirely destitute of 

 leaves. Culmiferous plants, compose what are 

 sometimes called " lobbing crops,'''' because they 

 exhaust the soil to a greater degiee than nio-^t 

 other crops. Wheat, rye, barley, oats, Indian 

 corn and millet are called culuiferous plants. 

 During the time of rpening tln'ir seeds they 

 are said to draw nearly all their nourishment 

 from the soil, and (his has a tendency to exhaust 

 it. In this stage of their growth with the ex- 

 ception of Indian corn, thfir leaves are dry, 

 shade the soil but very little, and leave it lo be 

 dried and exhausled of its fertilizing particles, 

 in the hottest season of (he year, liy the power- 

 ful rays of the sun. But culmileroMs plants, 

 while young consist |)rincipally of leaves, and 

 in that state deriv* most of their nourishment 

 from the air. If m a grpen slate they are cut 

 for tbod for cattle, they exhaust the soil very 

 little, and unless the season is very dry, a second 

 growth soon shailes the ground and prevents its 

 being robbed by the sun, which is a great dep- 

 redator on soils, especially such as are of loose 

 aud saudy texture. 



Leguminons crops are those of the pulse kind, 

 such as produce their ieeds in the pods, which 

 may be gathered by the hands, as peas, beans, 

 vetches, lentils, &c. Likewise clover, potatoes, 

 ruta baga, mangel wurtzel, turnips, cabbages, 

 carrots, parsnips, buck wheat are, l>y some writ- 

 ers called leguminous crops. — The same divis- 

 ions of crops are also denominated green crops 

 and grain crops. 



In a course or rotation of crops, it has been 

 recommended as a general rule to raise alter- 

 nately green crops and grain crops, or what is 

 nearly the same thing, leguminons crops and cul- 

 miferous crops. Others say that it would be more 

 philoso|)hical, and better husbandry to raise al- 

 ternately lap anrf fibrous rooted plants. Tap roots 

 descend into the ground in a perpendicular direc- 

 tion like those of the parsnip, the carrot, red 

 clover, &c. Fibrous roots are composed of threa- 

 dy or fibrous parls, like the roots of all kinds of 

 grain. Tap rods derive most of their nourish- 

 ment from a considerable depth below the sur- 

 face, and fibrous roots are nourished chiefly by 

 by the soil at and near the surface. But there 

 are many exceptions to all general rules on this 

 subject. 



The following rotations have been recom- 

 mended by experienced and scientific farmers. 

 " On light warm soils, the first year, corn dung- 

 ed, peas or potatoes : 2d year rye, barley or buck 

 wheat : the 3d and 4th clover: the ijlh wheat: 

 the 6lh and 7lh clover. On cold and stifT soils, 

 first oats or potatoes: 2d potatoes well dunged : 

 3d flax or wheat : 4lh grass and so on till it 

 needs to be broken up again." — Deane's JVew 

 England Farmer. 



The writer of a "Treatise on Agriculture" 

 originally published in the Albany Argus, re- 

 commends the following rotation of crops as best 

 ad.ipted to (he northern pai t of the United State*. 



Medium course in sandy soils : first year, po- 

 tatoes dunged : 2d year, wheat, with turnips, 

 3d year, Indian corn and pumpkins ; 4lh year, 

 barley and clover : 5th year, clover : Clh year, 

 wheat and turnips .as before. In this course we 

 have nine crojis in six years — five of which arc 

 ameliorating crops : and 



Medium course in loamy soil' : first year, po- 

 tatoes dunged : 2d year, wheat, with turnips : 

 3d year, Indian corn, and pumpkins : 4lh year, 

 barley and clover : 5th year, clover : Clh year, 

 wheat and turnips as before. In this course we 

 have nine crops in six years — five of which are 

 aipelioraling crops : and 



Medium course in dry soils: — 1st year, oats 

 with clover; 2d, clover; 3d wheat; 4lh beans 

 dunged : 5th wheat: 6lh, the yellow vetehling." 



We believe it would be an improvement in 

 loamy or clay soils to sow herds grass alias tim- 

 othy with the clover in every instance where 

 the latter is recommended. 



Samuel W. Pomeroy Esq. in his able " Essays 

 on Flax Husfiandry," originally published in the 

 Mass. Agr. Repository vol. vi. recommends (he 

 (allowing course of crops, when il is wished that 

 (lax should make a part of the succession. 



1 . [jo-js, cold, or reclaimed soils. 



\>l year potatoes: 2il do flax with grass seed: 

 3d do herds grass and red top, or tall meadow 

 oat grass, to continue three years or more and 

 the course repeated. 



2. Strong uplands. 



1 si year potaloes or corn : 2 1 do corn or roots : 

 3J do flax with seed : 1th do clover : 5tli do, 



orchard grass or herds grass, to continue three 

 years or more. 



3. Light Land. 



Isl year potatoes or corn : 2d do corn or roots ; 

 3d do. flax with seed : 4fh do. clover to be mown 

 once, the after growth lo be turned in, and rye 

 sown (hick on the furrow, which may be soiled 

 or fed in the spring by sheep or milch cows, and 

 ploughed in for 5lh year crop : Glh do sprino- 

 wheat or barley : 7th do clover, and the course 

 to be pursued as before, when flax will occupy 

 the land every 7th year. In all cases, except 

 when hemp is substituted,the tillage crops should 

 receive the dung. 



Two courses of crops pursued by Mr Bcei., oi 

 which details are given in the 2d volume of our 

 paper, page 177, on sand loam, were 



1st course — 

 1st year, Indian corn. 2d year, wheal and tur- 

 nips, after harvest. 3d year, barley, with clover 

 seed. 4th year, clover. 



2d course — 

 1st year, Indian corn. 2d year, wheat andclover 

 seed. 3d year, clover and ru(a baga. 4ih year 

 barley. 5th year, clover. We believe thai for 

 light land it would be ditlicult lo point out better 

 courses than tbose pointed out bv Mr Buel. 



In stiff soils which are proper for mangel 

 wurtzel, that root in many cases may well be 

 suhstiluted in the rotation for Indian corn or po- 

 tatoes. Turnips or ruta baga on light soils 

 may, generally, be raised to advantage ni^ter 

 wheat or barley. 



SUMMARY OF NEWS. 



The Election. — On the 4th inst. the freemen of Mai- 

 sachusetts gave in their votes for Governor, Lieut. Gov- 

 trnor, and Senators. iSo opposition to Mess. I.IiNCOLN 

 and MORTON was organized, and these gentlemen are 

 undoubtedly elected by overwhelming ninjoritie.«. The 

 Senators elected in the county of Suffolk are '1 ho's L. 

 VVinthrnp, Francis C. Gray, James T. Austin, Benja- 

 min Russell, James Savage, aud Jacob Hall. 



Mr Webster^ Speech. — At a full meeting of the citi- 

 zens of Boston, at I'anueil Hall, on the evening of the 

 od inst. the Hon. Daniel Webster addresseu the citizens 

 in an able address, which is th«s characterized in the 

 Ccntinel. "No Address ever delivered in the Cradle 

 of Liberty, from the days of James Otis to the present 

 day, was ever listened to with more intenseness or im- 

 pression, or received with more ardent and iinauimous 

 acclamations." 



On the 2d inst. a meeting of the citizens of Boston 

 was held to take into consideration the means of trans- 

 portation by water from Boston to Connecticut River 

 in the direction of the Merrimac and Baker's river. A 

 committee was chosen to enquire tBlo the practicability 

 of establishing such means of transportation, roinist- 

 ing of Harrison Gray Otis, William Sullivan, Charles 

 Tappan, George Bond, S. V. S. \\ ilder, Lewis Tappan. 

 The meeting was then adjourned to the first Tuesday 

 in June next : and the citizens of Boston were invit«d 

 to attend said adjourned meeting to take into considera- 

 tion the general object of improving the trade of the 

 city, &c. 



Welland Canal — It is stated that the British govern- 

 ment has otfered to loan to the province of Upper 

 Canaila 7O,0U0 pounds, for thi- purpose of completing 

 the Welland canal. The t aiiada jiapers stale that 

 among other advantages, Ibis canal will luinish a 

 water communication between Lakes Erie and tinlario, 

 at least 3 or 4 weeks before the ice will permit the 

 vessels of the upper lakes to reach the western ex- 

 tremity of the New Vork canal. 



The Legislature of Lower Canada has appropriated 

 $1600 to improve thi- direct road from Quebec to New- 

 Hampshire — aud iJJ^JOO towards a road to Kennebec. 



