xl INTRODUCTION. 



grass ; take off all the hay and then renew the process. To call this a &quot; rotation of crops &quot; is absurd 

 We might as well grow a crop of Indian corn every year. 



We must alternate the cereals with crops of clover, peas, beans, tares, and other leguminous plants, or 

 turnips ; feed them out on the farm, and carefully save and return tJie manure to the soil. 



In determining which crop to raise- for feeding on the farm, we must not merely ask the simple 

 question, &quot;Which crop will afford the most nutritious matter?&quot; but, &quot;Which will ultimately be most 

 profitable, taking into consideration the effect of its growth on the soil, its value as food, and the value 

 of the manure made by its consumption on the farm?&quot; All will admit that to grow wheat to be fed 

 to animals for the purpose of enriching the farm as the primary object would be a wasteful practice, 

 no matter how low a price it brought in market; and to grow barley, oats, rye, and Indian corn for the 

 same object is wasteful also, though perhaps in a less degree. 



In order to enrich the soil for the growth of the cereals, therefore, we must grow those plants 

 which do not dissipate ammonia. We must feed them on the farm to stock; and if we use an v grain, 

 or purchased cattle food, it should be such, other tilings being equal, as contains the most nitrogen for 

 the value of the manure; the quantity of ammonia it contains will be in proportion to the richness of 

 the food in nitrogen. Many fanners think manure is manure, no matter how it is produced. If the 

 dements which maJ;c rich manure are not in the food they will not be found in the manure, however care 

 fully it is preserved or composted. 



Horses fed on licrdsgrass and oats might do more work, but their droppings would not be as 

 valuable as though they were fed on clover-hay and peas, for the reason that peas contain twice as 

 much nitrogen as oats, and the clover much more than the herdsgrass. 



In determining which food to use, both these facts must be taken into consideration. In regard 

 to feeding sheep, however, there is no drawback to the use of clover. Sheep do better on clover-hay than 

 on any other, and it would be the height of folly to grow herdsgrass, rye, grass, or red-top, or any of 

 the natural grasses, for the purpose of feeding sheep. Clover impoverishes the soil less than the grasses; 

 it contains more nitrogen, is at least equally fattening, and makes richer manure. The same may be 

 said of peas and beans, as compared to oats, barley, rye, or corn. They impoverish the soil less, contain 

 twice as much nitrogen, are equally fattening when judiciously used, and afford much more valuable 

 manure. The same is true of oil-cake. It is quite as fattening as corn, and makes far better manure. 



Whatever we do in raising crops, in fattening stock or purchasing cattle foods, let our object be to 

 accumulate ammonia for the growth of the cereals, and their yield will be soon greatly augmented. 



To avoid the midge, it is essential to get wheat in early. To attain this result, the land must be 

 naturally or artificially drained. This is the first requisite, without which all others will fail. The 

 best of tillage, manures, culture, and seed will be of little avail if the soil requires under-draining. 



Other things being equal, wheat will be at least ten days earlier on land that is thoroughly under- 

 drained than on that which needs draining ; and it is a well-known fact, that if we could get our wheat 

 into llowcr ten days earlier than usual we should avoid the midge. 



Early sowing of late years has been very generally adopted as a means of getting wheat earlier ; 

 but in sowing too early there is danger from the Hessian ily. This insect deposits its eggs in the 

 young wheat in autumn, and early-sown wheat is more liable to injury than that which is sown later. 

 In the wheat-growing section of New York the time for sowing winter wheat is from the first to the 

 twentieth of September. Formerly it was sown as late as the twenty-fifth of September, or, in some 

 instances, as late as the first of October; but, since the advent of the midge, such late sowing has been 

 abandoned. If the land is in high condition and well drained, from the tenth to the twentieth of 

 September is, perhaps, the best time to seed. Sown at this time, we stand a fair chance of steering 

 between the two great pests of the wheat-grower. If we sow earlier, we run additional risk from the 

 Hessian tly; and if later, the midge will almost certainly destroy the crop. 



The land being well drained, enriched, and properly prepared in good season, the next important 

 point is the variety of wheat to sow. To avoid the midge, it must come into flower early. The variety 



