Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1820-07-25
From the Plough Boy.
FLEMISH HUSBANDRY.

riculturalists Of England are well aware,
that the more the rotation of crops are
| varied, the more abundant is their pro-
duce; but this opinion is confined 10 few
10 tina. country. 1t is only in Flanders
that The idea OF exhausting the soil, by
he repeated cropping, is exploded, aud HE
rotation system brought to the greatest
possible state Of perfection. The ground
being prepared i'll the manner before sta
ted, the Flemish farmer adopts either one
or the other oil the following courses:---
FIRST COURSE FOR THREE YEARS.
First year.--Oats are sown about the
end Of February; OF beginning Of Of March
These are cut green towards The end of
April, or beginning of May, aud given to
the cattle for food, which they eat with
great pleasure. II is found that this crop,
as il is not allowed TO throw oat the ears,
does not exhaust the soil, or take any
thing from the subsequent CROP Winter
potatoes are now sown for second crop;
previous to which the land is dug aud ma
nured. When OF a middlins size the
potatoe is planted whole, but ii very large,
the eye only is used.
Second year.-Wh heat forms the first
crop; and scarcely are the sheaves re-
moved from the ground, when the farmer
promptly turns up the earth, and sows
spurry. Sometimes carrots are sown with
the wheat
Third .year.--Rye; which is followed
by turnips.
SECOND COURSE FOR THREE YEARS.
First .year.-Flax, preceded by green
oats. After the fax, carrots.
Second year.--W heat followed by
spurry.
Third year.-flye and inrnips.
THIRD COURSE FOR THREE YEARS.
FIRST year.-Female hemp; after which
turnips.
Second yedr.-Flax, then carrots.
Third gear Wheat aud spurry.
FOURTH COURSE FOR THREE YEARS.
FIRST year.-Flax, preceded by green
corn. After the flax, carrots.
Second gear ole.seed; then turnips.
Third year.-W Wheat; then spurry.
These courses are sufficient to give a.
pretty correct idea Of the Flemish system
Of rotation. 1t will be seen that wheat
never succeedsso clover; it always follows
fax, hemp, cole-seed or potatoes. Glover
greatly encourages the growth 81 dog
grass, which, if not completely torn up,
with all IFS roots, the least fibres of the
latter which escape, will each produce
new plant, greatly to the prejudice Of the
wheat. In England the fields are always
more or less infected with this pest, while
the practice pursued 10 Flanders COM
pletely protects them against it. Wheat
is also materially benefited in Flanders,
by the repeated digging up, and hoeings,
which potatoes require; and by the abun-
dance, and judicious application Of manure,
spread during the first year Of the course.
This loses only part Of its fertiliziug salts;
leaving the earth 10 high state Of fertili-
ty, which the Flemish farmer knows we'll
how to augment to the requisite degree
without causing the wheat to shed; cir
cumstauce apt TO occur, where too great a
quantity Of manure is used.
The following comparative tables, shew-
Jog the value which is obtained from one
acre in four years, by a farmer, following
the Norfolk course, IN England, and that
obtained, from the same space in three
years according to the Flemish course,
will best illustrate the superior advantages
OF the latter over the former:
TABLE I.-England.