(139) 



cessively to three, two, and finally less than one ; and na- 

 ture keeps equal pace in reducing her proportional supplies 

 from fifteen first to twelve, and so on to nine and six, and 

 less than three parts. So the strongest inducement is offered 

 to enrich, rather than exhaust the soil ; for whatever amount 

 of fertility the cultivator shall bestow, or whatever abstrac- 

 tion from a previous rate of supply he shall make, either 

 the gain or the loss will be tripled in the account of supplies 

 from the atmosphere furnished or withheld by nature. 



" In another and more practical point of view, the loss 

 incurred by exhausting may be plainly exhibited. Accord- 

 ing to my views, soils supposed to be properly constituted 

 as to mineral ingredients do not demand, for the maintain- 

 ing and increasing of their rate of production, more than 

 the resting, or the growth of two years in every five, mainly 

 to be left on the land as manure. 



"These are the proportions of the five-field rotation, now 

 extensively used on the most improving parts of Virginia. 

 And one of these two years the field is grazed, so that parts 

 of its growth of grass are consumed, instead of all remaining 

 on the field for manure. To meet the same demands, the 

 more Southern planter might leave his field to be covered 

 by its growth of weeds (or natural grasses), one year, (and 

 also to be grazed), and a broadcast crop of pea vines to be 

 ploughed under in another, for every three crops of grain 

 and cotton. But the ready answer to this, (and I have 

 heard it many times), is, "What! lose two crops in every 

 five years? I cannot afford to lose even one." It may be 

 that the planter is so diligent and careful in collecting ma- 

 terials for prepared manure that he can extend a thin and 

 poor application, and in the drills only, over nearly half his 

 cotton field; and perhaps he persuades himself that this 

 application will obviate the necessity for rest and manuring 

 ciops to the land. 



"The result will not fulfill his expectation. But even if 

 it could, the manuring thus given directly by the labor of 



