252 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



BEST SUCCESSION OF CROPS. 



We translate from the great national book of France on agri- 

 cultural matters, their latest theory and practice in the successive 

 crops on the same land, viz : 



France calls this method assolement, from sol, soil and divi- 

 sion of it; solicm, Latin, into solums, or plats of soil. 



Man first tills the ground for his own food, then for his stock, 

 then he manures. These three purposes prevailed over the greatest 

 part of Europe. Natural meadows also fed stock; then came 

 artificial ones. Thus began a better system. It was seen that 

 the various plants were not equally exhausting to the soil. 



Although those vegetables which live in families are not very 

 common on our globe, yet in some instances we find such a family 

 maintaining its ground for long periods; at last they gradually lose 

 their vigor, and new, different plants invade them, and soon drive 

 them all out. We often find this in both our natural and artificial 

 meadows and pastures. Thus white clover, {Tnfolium repens, or 

 creeping clover,) the lupuline succeeds, &c. In some countries, 

 such plants as destroy our crops come alternately on the same 

 soil. Trees themselves obey this law of rotation. In 1746, an 

 immense fire destroyed part of the forest of Chateau Neuf; that 

 forest was chiefly of beech. The ground thus cleared by fire was 

 soon covered with plants and brush, among which started up an 

 indefinite number of young oaks. 



In 1799, the woods of Lumigny and Crecy were cut off; the 

 beech soon took possession; also raspberries, gooseberries, straw- 

 berries, brambles, then oaks, which are now in full growth. And 

 so of many other locations. A four year rotation of the following 

 crops does well : 



1 . Any crop which needs weeding. 



2. Oats. 



3. Clover. 



4. Wheat. 



Much depends, of course, on the seasons, whether in crops of 

 rotation or otherwise. Fallowing must almost be admitted to the 

 judgment of the farmer, for land requires rest more than it has in 

 winter, if actively cultivated. In tlie justly boasted county of 



