ROT 



R O T 



and which, in confequence of their large fupply of leaves, 

 derive a confiderable proportion of their nutriment from the 

 furrounding atmofphere, when they become ultimately 

 ploughed down into the ground, afford a confiderable fupply 

 of manure to the fucceeding wheat crop, by the gradual de- 

 cay and decompofition of their roots and leaves, and befides, 

 the woody fibrous parts of the farm-yard manure, which 

 was at firft applied, and which contains in its composition 

 the phofphate of lime, as well as fome other foluble parts 

 which are of difficult reduction, are now broken down, 

 and brought into a fuitable flate for the fupport of that 

 crop. 



After this deteriorating and exhaufting crop has been 

 taken from the ground, recourfemuft again be had to frcfh 

 manure, and the rotation be renewed. 



And in the ftrong clayey foils, after the land has remained 

 for two years in the flate of grafs, from the time of taking 

 a well freih dunged foil for barley crop, the leys may be 

 ploughed down and fown with pea and bean crops ; after 

 which the pea and bean ftubble maybe turned in for a wheat 

 crop ; and in many cafes this may be followed by crops of 

 winter tares and winter barley to be eaten off upon the land 

 in the fpring feafon, previoufly to its being prepared by 

 their being ploughed in, and other means for the fowing of 

 turnips. 



In thefe cafes, the rotation may ceafe and begin again, 

 either after taking the wheat crop, or thofe of the tares and 

 winter barley, according as the circumftances of the dif- 

 ferent cafes may be in refpedt to the land. 



It may be noticed, that pea and bean crops, in all cafes 

 of this nature, appear to be very well fuited to form and 

 prepare the land for wheat crops, as is clearly afcertained, 

 from their being alternately cultivated for many years to- 

 gether in fome fuch fituations. This may probably depend, 

 in fome meafure, upon the fmall proportion of fubftance 

 fimilar to that of albuminous matter which they contain, and 

 afford, as well as upon the principles fupplied by the decay 

 of the bean roots in the ground, which may be capable of 

 forming a part of the glutinous material in wheat crops. 



In the bafinefs of cropping lands, it may likewife be ne- 

 ceffary to have regard to the nature and manner in which the 

 different forts of plants are fed and fupported, for though 

 the compofition of them in general may be very fimilar, 

 the fpecific differences in the produces of a number of them, 

 is well as many other fafts and circumflances, fully demon- 

 It rate that they mufl draw different forts of matters from Un- 

 earth or foil, and although it mult be obvious that Inch ve- 

 getables as have the fmallefl fupplies of leaves, will, in pro- 

 portion, be the moft exhaufting to the earth or foil of its 

 common nutrient materials, yet that particular forts of 

 plants, as they are principally fupported by particular kinds 

 of matters, will, where their produce is carried off the land, 

 require peculiar principles of fuch natures to be fupplied to 

 the foil on which they grow. 



The cafe of the potatee, as well as fome other plants, is 

 highly illuftrative of this point, as it is well known that it 

 produces the moft fully, and in the moft luxuriant manner 

 at firlt, while the ground or mould is in a frefh or vii rj 

 Hate, and juR turned up from old ley or paflurc ; but that 

 in the courfe of a few years it degenerates and dec! 1 

 Handing in need of a new frelh foil ; and the nature of its 

 production hat a conflant tendency to fearch for this, as the 

 fibrous radicles afford new bulbs or roots at a confiderable 

 diltance from the old plant. 



Such grounds alfo as have been long cropped with fome 

 kinds of artificial grades, as red clover, &c. frequently 

 ceafe to yield good and full crops of them ; they becoming. 



in the language of the farmer, fick of, or tired with them ; 

 one principal and probable reafon of which i?, perhaps, the 

 deficiency or abfolute want of the peculiar fort of material 

 which is neceffary for their growth and fupport, as above, 

 which in this inftance is that of gypfum. This, therefore, 

 may be proper to be regarded in determining the rotations in 

 fuch cafes. 



A molt remarkable cafe of this property and capability 

 of particular plants to drain and exhauft the land of the 

 particular principles and fubftances fuited to their growth 

 and fupport, is met with in the mufhroom tribe, which are 

 aliened never to appear in fuccefiion on the fama point of 

 ground. 



In fhort, in every rotation of crops, it is of eflential im- 

 portance that every part of the land fhould, in its turn or 

 fuccefiion, be made to contribute, as fully as it is capable, to 

 the different plants as crops, by their being properly chofen 

 and adapted in this refpedt. 



In many inftances of ftrong loamy land, great benefit 

 may be derived from cropping with beans, which have been 

 fully dunged for, after barley and clover, as the latter of 

 the above crops and the manure will fupply abundant fup- 

 port for the bean crop, and that crop, in its ttubble and 

 roots, afford an admirable preparation and fupply of food 

 for wheat, as already noticed ; which may be properly and 

 beneficially fucceeded by tares, which again prepare the 

 ground well by their being fed off on the land, or foiled for 

 another crop of wheat. The rotation may then begin 

 again. 



Some think that all plants, the feeds of which yield oil, 

 exhauft land in a very high degree. Thus cole, which is a fort 

 of cabbage, efpecially when it perfect ) its feed, as w 11 as 

 the cabbage itfelf, which is believed by many to deteriorate 

 the land greatly, is improper as a crop in preparation for 

 wheat, though it is had recourfe to in many dillritts, and 

 thought highly of for that purpofe. Great caution is con- 

 ftantly neceffary in the rotations of cropping with fuch forts 

 of plants as crops. 



In fome cafes of the lighter kinds of mixed foils, peas are 

 found full as good a preparation for the wheat crop as beans, 

 having the advantage of being off the land fo much fooner. 

 Peafe or tares alfo prepare well for wheat, after ray-grafs, 

 on the ftone-brafh lands in many inftances, when well culti- 

 vated. 



That bean crops (hould always precede the wheat, and 

 not follow it, as is too frequently the cafe in a number of 

 diitridts, is fufficiently evident from the above remarks. 

 Peas may fometimes be fubftituted m the place of the bean 

 crop, with confiderable propriety and utility. 



It may be concluded on this moil interelting fubjedt, that 

 of all the figns which denote the progrefs or perfection of 

 the art of husbandry in any diftrift or country, there is none 

 which is more certain and correct than that ot the rotations 

 of the crops, which are purfucd by the farmers in the ma- 

 nagement of their arable lands. Where there is no regular 

 and appropriate change in the kinds of the crops, fo as to 

 fuit them to the nature of their fupport, and the it. I ind 

 circumflances of the land, the fyllem of farming mufl 1m is 

 a wretched date indeed ; but when- the arable grounds are 

 regularly prefcrved in a productive Hate, by luitahle rotations 



well applied, not only theintereil of the tenant is promoted, 

 his judicious conduft rendered evident, andtl ge of 



the proprietor fecured by the improvement wlin.fi if effecti d, 

 but the good of the community greatly inereafed, by the 

 products of the earth being rendered lo much more abundant 

 for its ufc and fupport. 



The practice of applying manure and cropping, fo as to 

 4 I 2 draw 



