FARMERS' REGISTER-ROTATION OF CROPS. 



13 



been pursued for a century ; and \vhen the fertility 

 and beauty of the country — a b.appy and comforta- 

 ble population amountinjj; to nearly an individual 

 to two acres of land, and a disposable surplus ot 

 one-third of the products of the soil, attest the 

 perfection of their peculiar system of ao-riculture, 

 and is the highest eulogium which can be paid to 

 the value of a rotation of crops. 



In this district the courses of crops vary with 

 the soil to which they are to be applied, not only 

 in the kind but in the number of the plants of 

 ■which they are composed; presenting a nice 

 adaptation of the character of tlie vegetable to the 

 peculiarity of the soil ; and fulfilling all, or nearly 

 all of the conditions of an enlightened system of 

 rotatiofis. Amidst the diversity which exists,- 

 from this cause, a leading principle is still observa 

 ble in all of the courses, whether of long or of 

 short duration. The plants which compose them 

 are thrown into three great divisions, comprising 

 different natural flimilies.* These divisions are 

 made to alternate with great regularity, although 

 the plants contained in them are frequently de- 

 ranged in the order of their succession, to meet 

 the "fluctuations of markets, and the vicissitudes of 

 the seasons. 



The first division contains Oleaginous plants, 

 as rape, flax, poppy, cameline and hemp, — and 

 plants of the Solamcn lixmily, as potatoes and to- 



The second embraces Cereal or grain plants, as 

 wheat, barley, oats and rye. 



The third, Leguminous plants, as beans, peas, 

 vetches, lentils, clover, sainfoin and lucerne. 



This mode of succession will be best illustrated 

 by the following example taken from the vicinity 

 of Lille.t It is a rotation on a farm of forty-eight 

 acres. 



1st year. Plants of the first division. Rape, 

 with stable and liquid manure, four acres, followed 

 as a second crop, by two acres of carrots, beets or 

 turnips. 



2d year. Plants of the second division. 1^ olir 

 acres of wheat, not manured ; second crop, two 

 acres of turnips, carrots, or cabbages, with liquid 

 manure. 



3d year. Plants of the third division, i our 

 acres of beans. 



4th year. Plants of the first division. Four 

 acres of potatoes, Avith stable and liquid manure. 



5th year. Plants of the second division. Two 

 acres of barley, with clover cut the first year. — 

 Two acres of oats, do. do. 



Cth year. Plants of the third division. Four 

 acres of clover, three cuttings. 



7th year. Plants of the first division. Three 

 acres of flax, with liquid manure and oil cakes. 

 One acre of tobacco, same manure, followed as a 

 second crop, by two acres of turnips, carrots, &c. 

 8th year. Plants of the second division. Two 

 acres of bearded wheat, two acres of rye, follov^ ed 

 by carrots, turnips, &c. as in second 'crop, with 

 liquid manure. 



9tb year. Plants of the third division. Two 

 acres of winter barley, cut green, two acres winter 

 forage,! followed by two acres of cabbages, beets, 

 or turnips, as a second crop, with liquid manure. 



* Cordicr. Mciaoire sur I'Agri : de la Flandre Fran- 

 caise. t Wem. p. 291. 



X A mixed forage crop, principally of legiimes. 



10th year. Plants of the first division. Rape, 

 four acres, for the seed, with stable and liquid ma- 

 nure, followed as a second crop, by two acres of 

 turnips, carrots, &c. 



11th year. Plants of the second division. Four 

 acres of wheat, followed by two acres of turnips 

 and carrots, as a second crop. 



12th year. Plants of the third division. Three 

 acres of beans, one acre winter barley, cut green, 

 followed by a nursery of rape plants, as a second 

 crop, with liquid manure. 



In this course of crops there are four returns of 

 the three great divisions. Each return fufils 

 liiost of the important principles. The first year, 

 the land is well manured, and well stirred and 

 weeded. The application of manure is made to 

 the most oxhaur,ting and valuable crop of the se- 

 ries. At the end of this year, the soil is left rich, 

 well stirred and clean, qualities which are required 

 by the grain crops which are to follow. The crops 

 of this year, are removed in time to admit of the 

 preparatory operations for those of the next. The 

 second year the land is occupied liy grain crops, 

 which succeed perfectly well, as it is clean, en- 

 riched and well stirred. No manure is added this 

 year, as its recent application fills the soil with 

 \s eeds, and from an excess- of vegetation, occa- 

 sions the lodging of the grain. The ihird year it 

 becomes necessary to rcfdace the grain crops, — 

 which have left the soil impoverished, hard, and 

 foul with weeds, by some crop which is amelio- 

 rating and cleansing. Hence the cultivation of 

 leguminous crops this year, which by their broad 

 leaves and succulent stems, draw their nourish- 

 ment from the atmosphere, and by the decayof 

 their leaves, stems and roots, convey it to the soil; 

 which, by their system of tap-roots, pulverize the 

 earth, — and by their dense shade and the culture 

 wliich they require, destroy the weeds produced 

 by the preceding crop. 



These effects are reproduced whatever may be 

 the length of the rotation. "It may be seen," 

 says the author from whom this example is taken, 

 " that in this rotation of twelve changes, each va- 

 riety of oleaginous, cereal and leguminous plants, 

 only returns twice ; that the greater part and the 

 most exhausting, as potatoes, flax, are only culti- 

 vated once. The great condition, therefore, of an 

 extreme variety of crops is accomplished, and all 

 the others are exactly fulfilled, since ameliorating 

 crops and hoed and manured plants precede and 

 follow the grain crops, wliich have the double in- 

 convenience of exhausting and infesting the eailh 

 with noxious weeds." 



The productiveness of this rotation is shown by 

 its yielding four grain, four oleaginous, four legu- 

 minous, and four secondary root crops; being six- 

 teen crops in twelve years. 



The frequent introduction of double, or secon- 

 dary crops, forms a striking and valuable feature 

 in this and all the other rotations of Flanders. One 

 not less valuable is, that fallows, whether naked 

 or covered, form no part of them. 



It would be interesting to enter into an exami- 

 nation of the course of crops adopted in Dutch 

 Flanders, as they present many useful hints and 

 valuable lessons ; but I fear that I have already 

 exhausted the patience of the society— and as I 

 purpose, should leisure permit, to offer at some 

 future time, the result of a personal examination 

 of the agriculture of that country, I pass from it 



