36 AMERICAN HUSBANDRY. 



improving and enriching qualities. Its benefits have 

 been great wherever it has been introduced, accom- 

 panied with the use of gypsum ; and the two com- 

 bined have hitherto been the principal basis of good 

 husbandry. But their benefits are capable of being 

 far more widely extended. We consider the use of 

 clover for cattle food, great as it is, but of secondary 

 importance to the farmer; its most profitable use 

 being to feed crops and ameliorate the soil. N<> 

 green crop is so serviceable for the latter purposes; 

 and \ve are satisfied from experience, that the practice 

 of habitually sowing it with small grains for these 

 objects, where it is not intended to stock with grass- 

 seeds, is an excellent one on all grounds adapted to 

 its growth. Upon this subject we quote as follows 

 from Chaptal : 



" Artificial grass lands [constituting a part of the 

 alternating system, and in contradistinction to natu- 

 ral and permanent grass-lands] ought now to be con- 

 sidered as forming the basis of agriculture. These 

 furnish fodder, the fodder supports cattle, and the 

 cattle furnish manure, labour, and all the means ue 

 cessary to a thorough system of cultivation."* 



V. ROOT CULTURE. 



The advantage of root culture to the soil in the 

 alternating system has been already briefly alluded 

 to ; but this culture possesses higher claims to our 

 notice than the bare influence it has in ameliorating 

 the soil : it constitutes, otherwise, a valuable source 

 of fertility to the farm and of profit to the farmer. 

 It trebles the amount of cattle-food, and doubles the 

 quantity of manure. Potatoes constitute a great por- 

 tion of the bread and meat of the Irish peasantry, 



* See Cbaptal's Chymistry applied to Agriculture, embracing 

 also the most valuable parts of Sir H. Davy's work on the same 

 subject, and an admirable Treatise on the Use of Lime as a 

 Manure, by M. Puvis, with introductory remarks by Professor 

 Renwick, published by Harper & Brothers, 1839. 



