THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. / 135 



to draw from the soil to its utmost capacity of pro- 

 duction, consistent with its uniform and progressive 

 improvement. How to arrive at this knowledge is 

 the great desideratum, and has by successful agri- 

 culturists been only obtained by a judicious system 

 of rotation of crops. This important and essential 

 aid to agricultural success is but little understood, 

 or if understood, but little practised in Virginia. 

 Necessity, " the mother of inventions," has induced 

 some of the farmers to attempt some* rotation by 

 which the capacity of their lands might be im- 

 proved by following one species of crops by a dif- 

 ferent one, and substituting some green crop for 

 improvement between the different crops for profit. 

 In many sections of the country it is imagined that 

 the only condition of a rotation is that the same 

 plant be not cultivated annually and that a succes- 

 sion of corn, wheat, oats, &c. is as much a system 

 of rotation as any other plan — but the true object 

 to be desired in all rotations is, to ascertain how far 

 it will economize the manure in the soil, or what 

 may be added artificially, and thus the greatest 

 amount of production secured. Most scientific 

 writers upon agriculture agree that the three fol- 

 lowing rules are the true principles upon which 

 every system of rotation of crops should be based : 



1st. That each plant requires a particular food 

 and should, therefore, be repeated at as long inter- 

 vals as possible. 



2d. That seed crops, being particularly exhaust- 

 ing, are to be interchanged with green or forage 

 crops and roots. 



3d. That plants which require hoe tillage, being 

 cleaning crops, should follow those which are sown 

 broadcast and encourage weeds. 



These rules I believe are tenable, and should be 

 kept in view in every system of rotation. Stimu- 

 lated by example and the march of improvement, 

 a number of farmers have abandoned the old three 

 shift rotation of corn, wheat and grazing, and have 

 adopted the more modern five shift rotation. — 

 There are many who have signalized themselves 

 in this respect, and of whom it may almost em- 

 phatically be said they have changed " the bar- 

 ren waste to the fertile. fields," but preeminent 

 among those who have accomplished this desirable 

 object is Edmund Ruffin, whose name and fame are 

 identified with the improved agriculture of Virgi- 

 nia. He has, in a recent communication to the 

 Executive Committee of the Virginia State Agri- 

 cultural Society, given an interesting account of 

 the different systems of rotation in Virginia. The 

 one most approved of by him is the six shift rota- 

 tion which he has adopted, and to which I refer all 

 who are desirous of having more instruction on 

 this important subject. The rotation which is now 

 most generally practised is the five shift rotation, 

 with peas broadcast with the crop of corn. This 

 rotation consists of having two fields in wheat and 

 one in corn. Thus : 



1st year. Corn, with peas broadcast in the grow- 

 ing corn, to be fallowed in with the wheat. 



2d year Wheat. 



3d year Clover. 



4th year. Wheat on clover fallow. 



5th year. Rest, with partial grazing. 



This rotation, of course, requires that land be 

 divided in five equal parts, separated by fences, or 

 not, to suit the convenience of the proprietor. 



With a proper rotation of crops, our own re- 

 sources of fertility and the aids now brought within 

 our reach, we shall no longer suffer the reproach 

 of poverty and sterility, which has so lon^ been 



applied to our State. With the application of pro- 

 per energies and proper principles to our agricul- 

 ture, we can make Virginia the garden spot of the 

 world, and preserve the rising generation from rais- 

 ing the cry of " Westward, Ho!" 



In submitting this essay to the Virginia State 

 Agricultural Society I have not attempted the in- 

 troduction of any new truths or elucidation of any 

 new principle, but those which I have submitted 

 are the result of my observations and experience, 

 aided by the suggestions of others. I doubt not 

 they will be more clearly illustrated by others who 

 may submit their views upon this important sub- 

 ject to the Society ; yet notwithstanding their many 

 imperfections, they are respectfully submitted to 

 the consideration of the Society. 



For the Southern Planter. 

 ESSAYS ON AGRICULTURE. 



NUMBER I. 



Mr. Editor, — By your permission I propose to 

 furnish your readers with a few communications 

 on agriculture, the result of some experiments, &c. 



There are two important questions upon the sub- 

 ject of agriculture, than which, perhaps, there is 

 none of more utility. They are these : What was 

 originally good soil 1 and what is necessary to re- 

 store it to its original state after it has been ex- 

 hausted'? The consideration of these questions 

 will occupy a few pages. 



1. Good Soil in its original state. — The whole earth 

 may be considered as one vast compost heap, com- 

 posed of various substances. This compost heap 

 is composed of mineral and vegetable matter, and 

 is so arranged as to produce the materials for the 

 support of animals. The Creator so arranged the- 

 soil that it should produce various plants, and that 

 these plants should return their refuse matter to 

 the earth again, in order to keep up its original 

 fertility. But man has disarranged this order ; he< 

 has taken crop after crop, and returned nothing, 

 until he has reduced rich land to barrenness. If 

 this be so, what must be done 1 The answer is ob- 

 vious. Restore to the soil the exhausted ingre- 

 dients. We say exhausted ingredients, because it 

 is rarely the case, perhaps never, that all the eler 

 ments of a good soil are wanting. But to produce 

 this restoration we must know what a fertile soil 

 is; in other words, the materials of which, it; is. 

 composed. The following enter into the composi- 

 tion of soil without manure: Organic matter 97 

 parts out of 1000, silica (sand) 648, alumina 57/ 

 lime 59. magnesia 8, oxide of iron 61, oxide of 

 mangenese 1, potash 2, soda 4, chlorine 2, sulphuric 

 acid 2, phosphoric acid 4, carbonic acid 40, Now 

 let us compare this with barren soil. It contains 

 organic matter 40, silica 778, alumina 91, lime 4, 

 magnesia 1, oxide of iron 81, oxide of manganese 

 a trace, potash none, soda none, carbonic acid none. 

 Now it will be seen from this contrast that barren 

 soil lacks more than one-half organic matter, and 

 where there should be 59 of lime it has only 4, (a 

 deficiency of 55,) and where there should be mag- 

 nesia 8 there is only 1. This is a great deficiency. 

 But of other important matters there is none — 

 potash, soda, chlorine, sulphuric acid, phosphoric 

 acid, carbonic acid, all important ingredients, en- 

 tirely wanting. Where all these ingredients exist 

 in due proportion there is good soil, and where 

 they become less the soil is less productive, and 



