Kentucky Farming,, 
139 
In this rotation it is contemplated that the 
clover shall be pastured till the rye is ripe, 
the stock then be removed to this, and the 
second crop of clover be allowed to grow up 
and ripen, to be ploughed under late the 
same fall, or early in the winter for the suc¬ 
ceeding crop of hemp. 
In a rotation of a tobacco crop, the same 
writer suggests, that 30 acres be set apart 
for this purpose, in three fields of 10 acres 
each, with the following eight years rotation. 
1841 
1842 
1843 
1844 
1845 
1846 
1847 
1848 
No. 1. No. 2. 
Tobacco Clover 
rp . ( Clover plowed ) 
Tobacco I up in fall. \ 
Oats & Clover Tobacco 
Clover 
Clover 
Clover plowed 
up in fall. 
Tobacco 
Tobacco 
Tobacco 
Oats & Clover 
Clover 
Clover 
Clover plowed ) 
up in fall, > 
No. 3. 
Clover 
Clover 
Clover 
Clover plowed 
up in fall. 
Tobacco 
Tobacco 
Oats & Clover 
Clover 
The oats, he remarks, are sowed the first 
year, to prevent the growth of weeds. They 
should not be' allowed to ripen their seeds, 
as this would exhaust the ground, but as 
soon as in flower, a heavy bush or roller 
must be dragged over them, thus prostrating 
the straw upon the field to decay and en¬ 
rich it. 
When wheat is intended as the main crop, 
a writer in the Kentucky Farmer, vol. 4, re¬ 
commends dividing a farm of 200 acres into 
eight fields, and the rotation thus— 
No. 1. 
No. 2. 
No. 3. 
No. 4. 
1841 
Fallow 
Corn 
Rye 
Wheat 
1842 
Wheat 
Fallow 
Cora 
Rye 
1843 
Clover 
Wheat 
Fallow 
Corn 
1844 
Wheat 
Clover 
Wheat 
Fallow 
1845 
Clover 
Wheat 
Clover 
Wheat 
1846 
Wheat 
Clover 
Wheat 
Clover 
1847 
Rye 
Wheat 
Clover 
Wheat 
1848 
Cora 
Rye 
Wheat 
Clover 
No. 5. 
No. 6. 
No. 7. 
No. 8. 
1841 
Clover 
Wheat 
Clover 
Wheat 
3842 
Wheat 
Clover 
Wheat 
Clover 
3843 
Rye 
Wheat 
Clover 
Wheat 
1844 
Corn 
Rye 
Wheat 
Clover 
1845 
Fallow 
Corn 
Rye 
Wheat 
1846 
Wheat 
Fallow 
Corn 
Rye 
1847 
Glover 
Wheat 
Fallow 
Corn 
1848 
Wheat 
Clover 
Wheat 
Fallow 
To the above, many would add woodland 
pastures for their stock, and the cultivation 
of other grains, and more roots than are here 
set down in division for rotations. We add 
no suggestions of our own, as we are pro¬ 
mised them by those better qualified than 
we are to give them, viz. the able writers of 
Kentucky themselves. We were there as a 
scholar, not as a teacher, and we will frankly 
say, from what we saw during our limited 
stay there, that we do not see how the sys¬ 
tem of cropping and stock raising can be 
much improved, as practised by her most 
enlightened planters. The only suggestions 
that occur to us just now are, that we think 
it would be beneficial to introduce a system 
of draining, where the lands are too level, 
heavy, and wet; and again that of irrigation 
where springs and streams can be found of 
sufficient elevation to lead them along over 
the land. In so dry a climate, by proper 
irrigation, the products, especially in grass, 
may be easily doubled. 
The great thoroughfares of the State are 
well McAdamized, making it a pleasure to 
travel over them at all seasons of the year. 
Some railroads have been attempted, but we 
believe all, except the one leading from 
Frankfort to Lexington, are now abandoned. 
We rejoice at this, for they are totally un¬ 
suited to any country, except to link large 
populous places, between which there is an 
immense travel. A railroad only accommo¬ 
dates a particular set, while a McAdam bene¬ 
fits all within its reach, and is especially to 
be preferred in an agricultural district. Nor 
need the travel on it be so much slower as 
is generally believed. We talk about rail¬ 
roads of the United States averaging 25 
miles an hour, whereas they hardly come up 
to 15 miles the hour, and with well selected 
horses, and adopting lighter vehicles, and 
limiting the passengers to six inside, with 
three out, 8 or 9 miles an hour, except in the 
hottest weather, may be comfortably averag¬ 
ed by the stage coaches. Then there is the 
advantage of having a good road open to the 
private carriage, the horseman, pedestrian, 
farm wagon, and droves of stock bound for 
distant markets. 
In addition to the wild mountain scenery 
of Kentucky, all have heard of its mammoth 
cave. Innumerable smaller ones also exist, 
bold precipices are scattered here and there, 
while many of its streams flow off through 
deep gorges, surmounted by high bluffbanks 
Ranges of sharp conical hills, interspersed 
with those of a more gentle and rounded 
form rise around, and give variety to the 
landscape, and even the most level plains 
are generally sufficiently rolling to carry off 
all surplus waters. Springs occasionally 
ooze out of the beds of limestone along this 
rolling country, but upon the whole there is 
rather a scarcity of water on their richest 
and most level lands. This is obviated in a 
measure by damming up the rivulets, and ex¬ 
cavating ponds, but during very dry seasons 
they suffer for want of water and some are 
