THE FARMERS' CABINET, 



DEVOTED TO AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE AND RURAL ECONOMY 



Vol. 1. 



Plapl:idel}»Eiia, SeptcinbiL'r 1, l$$3(i. 



n'o. 4. 



Rotation of Crops. 



The proper distribution of cro[)s, and a plan 

 for their succession, are one of the lirst sub- 

 jects to whicii a farmer should direct his at- 

 tention. The kind of crops to be raised, is 

 determined, in a great measure by the cli- 

 mate, soil and demand-; and the quantity of 

 each by the value, demand, and tlie adjust- 

 ment of farm labor ; the great art of the lat- 

 ter being the division of it as e(|ually as pos- 

 sible throughout the year. The system of 

 rotation is adapted for every soil, though no 

 particular rotation can be given for any one 

 soil which will answer in all cases, as some- 

 thing depends on climate, and on the kind of 

 produce in greatest request. But wherever the 

 system of rotation is followed, and the seve- 

 ral processes of labor, which belong to it, 

 properly executed, land will rarely get into a 

 foul and exhausted state. 



The particular crops which enter into a 

 system of rotation, must obviously be such 

 as are suited to the soil and climate, and oth- 

 er local circumstances ; such as the proximi- 

 ty of towns and villages, where there is a 

 greater demand for turneps, potatoes, hay, 

 &c., than in thinly-peopled districts. In 

 general, beans and clover, with rye grass, 

 are interposed between grain crops, on clay- 

 ey soils; and turneps, potatoes, clover, and 

 rye grass, on dry loams or sands. A variety 

 of other plants, such as peas cabbage, and 

 carrots, occupy apart, though commonly but 

 a small part, of that division of a farm which 

 is allotted to green crops. This order of suc- 

 cession, is called the system oi cilfernaie hus- 

 bandry ; and on rich soils, or such as have ac- 

 cess to abundance of putrescent manure, it is 

 certainly the most productive of all others, 

 both in food for man and for the inferior ani- 

 mals. One half of a farm is, in this course, al- 

 ways under some of the different species of 

 cereal gramina. and the other half under roots, 

 cultivated herbage, or plain fallow. But the 

 greater part of arable land cannot be main- 

 tained in a fertile state under this manage- 

 ment ; and sandy soils, even though highly 

 manured, soon become too incohesive under 

 a course of constant tillage. It therefore be- 

 comes necessary to leave that division which 

 carries cultivated herbage, to be pastured for 

 two years, or more, according to the degree of 

 its consistency, and fertility ; and all the 

 fields of a farm are treated thus in their turn, 

 if they require it. This is called the system 



oi convcrtiblehusbandry, a regular change be- 

 ing constantly going on from aration to pas- 

 turage, and vice versa. 



A judicious rotation of cropping for every 

 soil, requires a degree of judgment in the far- 

 mer, whicli can only be gathered from obser- 

 vation and experience. The old rotations 

 were calculated to exhaust the soil, and to 

 render it unproductive. To take wheat, bar- 

 ley, and oats in succession, a practice very 

 common not many years ago, was sufficient 

 to impoverish the best land, while it put lit- 

 tle into the pockets of the farmer; but the 

 modern rotations are founded on principles, 

 which insure a full return from the soil, with- 

 out lessening its value, or deteriorating its 

 condition. Much depends, however, on the 

 manner in which the different processes are 

 executed ; for the best arranged rotation may 

 be of no avail, if the processes belonging to 

 it are imperfectly and unseasonably execu- 

 ted. 



A soil may be forced, by extreme care, en- 

 ormous expense, and the use of manure 

 without measure, to produce all sorts of 

 crops ; but it is not in such sort of proceed- 

 ings that the science of agriculture consists. 

 Agriculture ought not to be considered as an. 

 object of luxury, and whenever the produce 

 of agricultural management does not amply 

 repay the care and expense bestowed upon 

 it, the system followed is bad. A good agri- 

 culturist, will, in the first place, make him- 

 self acquainted with the nature of his soil, in 

 order to know the kind of plants to which it 

 is best adapted ; this knowledge may be ea- 

 sily acquired by an acquaintance with the 

 species of the plants produced upon it spon- 

 taneously, or by experiments made upon the 

 land, or upon analogous soils in the neigh- 

 borhood. 



A good system of cropping is, in my opin- 

 ion says the justly celebrated Chaptal, the 

 best guarantee of success that the farmer can 

 have; without this, all is vague, uncertain, 

 and hazardous. In order to establish this 

 good system of cropping, a degree of knowl- 

 edge is necessary, which unhappily is want- 

 ing to the greater part of our practical farm- 

 ers. I shall here state certain facts and 

 principles, which may serve as guides in 

 this important branch of agriculture. 



PiUNCiPLE 1. — The fimdanientul point is, 

 that all plants exhaust the soil. 

 The principles of rotations of crops, arc 



