SYSTEM AND ROTATION. 77 



proceed to divide the land into four equal parts, adopting the 

 system of four years' shift as best suited to our plantation econ- 

 omy. The first object which I direct attention to, is to grade 

 ditch the land where necessary (which it is generally), and 

 horizontal the rows perfectly level this is proper and superior 

 to all other plans on sandy land. In the next place, I fix the 

 rotation, and shift thus : five acres to each hand in cotton, ten 

 acres for grain, and five to lie in fallow. Our system of shift- 

 ing crops proceeds in this way. I plant cotton on the same 

 land once in four years, and the cotton is always planted on 

 fallow land, with a dressing of 500 bushels of compost or stock 

 ykl manure per acre, which is spread on the land broad-cast, 

 and incorporated with the soil uniformly in the process of bed- 

 ding out the rows. This will be more minutely explained 

 under the head of "Application of Manures." Let it be borne 

 in mind now, that this land is perfectly level, and that all rain 

 water sinks into the soil where it falls, and the residue of the 

 cotton stalks, leaves, burs, blooms and limbs, with the seed, 

 except for planting, are all returned back to the same land 

 where they grew. Upon this land the next year we plant corn, 

 manuring it with cotton seed. But to our corn crop, which I 

 regard as the most important crop on the plantation, we add 

 two acres of the land which was in corn last year, thus giving 

 us seven acres in corn to each hand. On the other three acres 

 of that portion that was in corn last year, we sow small grain, 

 which upon land thus treated, will furnish a sufficiency of oats, 

 rye, and wheat, for the wants of the plantation, when you 

 have such a crop of corn as we provide for. Then we have 

 lying in fallow, for the next year's cotton crop, the three acres 

 that were in small grain last year. Every one will see at 

 once the simplicity of this system of rotation and shift of crops. 

 I will now endeavor, as briefly as possible, to give the rea- 

 sons why I believe this to be the best system of rotation and 



