Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1838-08-16
SPEED TEE PLOUGH.
From the Genesee Farmer.
x OF TION OECR OpS


The necessity ola rotation of crops is ioun
ded on lew simple principles, the force oil
which and their application, any one NAV
understand. They have been clearly and
concisely stated by Chaplal, and they are So
fundamentally important TO correct course
OF farming, that they should be impressed
on The mind OF every tiller of the soil They
will oil course bear repetition:
Principle /. All plants exhaust the soil
2. All plants do not exhaust the
soil equally.
8. Plants OF different kinds do not
exhaust q soil in the same
manner.
i All plants do not restore to the
soil the same quantity or
quality Of manure.
b. All plants do not foul the soil
equally.
From these established principles, the fol !.
lowing are legitimate inferences lst. No
soil can nourish long succession of crops
without exhaustion. There would seem TO
be no exceptions TO this, unless the case OF
river aliuvion, such as the Genesee Flats for
example, may be considered such But in
this case the annual OVERLOOKING, either en-
IRE or partially, renews the deposite o! fer
tiie matter, or 10y permealing the soil divests
IL OF any injurious principles it may buve
received from previous crops. The infer
encc may therefore be considered sound. and
The man who crops continually without max
ing corresponding returns 10 the soil, will
experience lis truth in the rapid decrease OF
MS crops grown on such land
Ahother inference, and the I'd would be-
mat W lille one kind Of crop exhausted the
SOIL by drawing most OF it's nourishmenl di-
rect from the earth, and returning nothing
oi consequence 10 it, others, deriving a large
part OF their nourishment from the atmos-
phere, and returning 10 the earth much yeg-
etable matter, scarcely, if at all, exhaust the
son upon which they grow. To illustrate
'hiS, let us take grains and clover, or gains
anu roots with large tops such as tho beet,
ruta OaGa, &c. The cultivation of white
grains, such as wheat, SC. probably wears
as RAPIDLY upon land as any crop the farmers
OF The north can cultivate. This, in part.
may be attributed TO the ripening OF the seeds,
Out more, we think, TO the plants deriving n
large part OF their nutrment from the earth,
and but little from other sources, while at
the same time the return they make of veg
etable matter is the smallest possible quaint
". Clover would seem to derive its pour-
ishmeni in different manner the matter
which forms its roots appears to have been
elaborated In its rich and succulent herbage.
and II is on the leaves of plants that the at
mosphere produces its greatest effects.
ne 3d inference would be, that plants
which draw their neurishment from the earth.
and those that are the most influenced by AT,
mospheric causes, should alternate with each
other; and that plants that draw their nour.
ishment from The surface should he succeed
ed by those that seek their food at greater
ueplhs Here is the reason, and a sufficient
one IL 10, why the roots should constitute q
more important part of The system of Amer.
tcan husbandry. The grains are fibrous root
ed and spread themselves principally near
the surface the tap rooted plants, such as
clover, tnrnips, sc. 60 deeper, and while
their iuxuriant leaves are employed in aerat>
ing The juices, their roofs are penetrating tie
earth beyond the reach OF the fibrous class.
"A 9th inference would be, that success
SION OF plants o: the same Species when pos
sioie, should be avoided, as continued cult.
Va'ion has tendency TO increase the enc.
mes Oh That particular plant, and a rotation
or change would tend 10 proven: their in.
| crease Owing TO the sowing seed without
preparation or precautioD, the Hessian fy
IN some districts of England and Long Is,
land, became SO numerous as nearly I'm do
s'roy The wheat crop. i, was consequently
| mostly abandoned for few years in such
Piaces' ana The insect, lacking its proper nj,
aus i"r propagation soon disappeared. Such
mas been the case with the pea bug. The
pug had become so numerous in some parts
OF The western district that the pea was al,
most worthless; and The culture was pener-
ally discontinued. A few years has eiarsed
| ana they are again coming into use as 81 field
crop, and the bug is scarcely known. Ger.
tainiy not 10 any injurious extent A brew
er al Newburypori in Massachusetts. a few
years since imported some barley from Hol
land, and some Off was used for seed bv far
mers 10 the vicinity. Ii was infested bv an
insect which spread rapidly, aud compelled
the farmers to abandon barley as crep for
TWO or three years. The insec, il now ex.
'inct, and barley is again cultivated with sue.
cess "
a 9th inference would be, tina, crops liza.
Die 10 be infested with peculiar weeds should
not De cultivated in succession, but by ro-
'allon exposed TO culture that will eradi,
cate them. The culture of corn and roofs
That require repeated hoeings, IS found effec.
tuai IN destroying many weeds that get q
| !oo'hold in grass lands, and by seeding land:
rotation exhaustion is prevented, and the
son Kept clean, in good filth, and prepared
,oI any valuable crop required 10 be grown
opop II; fernicIous weeds oitener obtain q
Ioo'hoio with the grains, than.with any other
crop, as these shade the ground but little
anu aHord chance for vegetation, which
1 T growing or large leaved plants do not,
slmers hnd that charlock and red root arc
,nus disseminated in their wheat fields, and
VI. uSaI ROTATION oil crops is necessary TO clear
mem rom these pestiIerous infruders.
hhother important inducement 4, a rote
''oh OF crops, but one which is often over