ALTERNATION OF CHOI'S. 35 



strong loams are better adapted to wheat than sili- 

 cious gravels and sands ; while the latter are better 

 fitted to carry Indian corn, turnips, and clover, than 

 clays. In other respects, such as the exhaustion of 

 the ground, it is a matter of little interest with the 

 farmer what crops of each class are chosen to al- 

 ternate with each other. 



Farm stock seems necessarily to be embraced in 

 the system of alternate husbandry. Cattle convert 

 the bulky products of the farm into meats, butter, 

 cheese, &c. These concentrated products are carried 

 to market at comparatively trifling expense. Cattle 

 also furnish labour, and manufacture into manure 

 the straw, stalks, and other offal and litter of the 

 farm, necessary to keep up its fertility ; for without 

 manure the soil will grow poor, and its products an- 

 nually diminish. Manures, we repeat, are the main 

 source of fertility to our soils, and the substantial 

 food of our crops. Our supply of these will depend 

 on the amount of stock we feed upon the farm 5 and 

 the amount of stock we can keep profitably will 

 again depend upon the fertility of the soil, and the 

 consequent abundance of its products. So that grain 

 and grass husbandly, and cattle husbandry, are recip- 

 rocally and highly beneficial to each other. It is 

 maintained by practical men, that grounds under 

 good tillage will yield as much food for cattle, in 

 roots, straw, &c., as the same grounds would yield 

 in grass, thus leaving the grain as extra profit. 



Clover, which we have classed with ameliorating 

 crops, merits a farther and distinct notice. We find 

 that clover was cultivated at an early period by the 

 Flemings, and constituted an important item in their 

 excellent system of husbandry. Its introduction 

 into Britain is of comparatively modern date. Forty 

 years ago its culture may be said to have commenced 

 in the United States ; but its .progress was slow till 

 within the last few years ; and even now, large por- 

 tions of our country are practically ignorant of its 



