THE ADVANTAGES OF A ROTATION OF CROPS. 059 



may be much increased by plowing and Inirrowing the land and 

 let the grass again occupy the soil. This plan is^espceially well 

 adapted to renewing the yield of June grass, quack grass, Ber- 

 muda grass, and Johnson grass. 



In reference to permanent grass lan.ls, J. Julie, of En-land, 

 in his "Gold Medal" essay, makes the following remarks i,i 

 Jour. IJoy. Ag. Soc. for 1882: -The cultivation of n.ots and 

 (cereals deprives the soil „f nitrogen, whilst that ..f grass and 

 leguminous plants, temporary or lu-rmanent. on the ,-07itrary 

 causes it to accumulate in the soil. That nitrogen bdng the 

 most expensive to buy, it is not economical to devote part oi the 

 land absolutely to arable and part t.. grass, for whilst the one 

 uses up the nitrogen, the other accumulates it in excess. It is 

 preferable to alternate on the same piece of hiiul the rultivation 

 of roots and cereals with that of grass lays. By this means 

 cultivation can be kept up indefinitely without purchasing 

 nitrogen, provided the land be maintained in a fit state of rich"- 

 ness as regards the mineral elements. The occupation of land 

 by a grass for two or three years which takes its turn in the 

 rotation of crops is preferred to permanent occupation h^ grass." 

 The late J. J. Mechi, of England, objects to old pastures in 

 countries which are rather dry. The crop is too light; arable 

 land is more profitable. 



The Advantages of a Rotation of Crops.-Some of them are 

 as follows: Manure is economized, as crops do not all feed alike; 

 the fertility of the soil is better and more economicallv preserved [ 

 weeds are more easily controlled ; it enables a person to distribnti 

 his labor more evenly through the yc ; it gives a proportion of 

 grain for feed and coarse straw f. ,.tter; crops in alternation 

 are less liable to the attacks of fungi and insects. Where fields 

 are occasionally cultivated, moles are less likely to become 

 troublesome. Leguminous plants are not specially benefited by 

 nitrogenous manures, but they are nitrogen -producers," and 



