Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1850-02-01
Agricultural.
From the American Farmer.
On the Rotation OF Crops.

dSTiCuitulah
From the American Farmer.
On the Rotation OF Crops.
Dean SIR 1notice, in one of your numbers a cor
respondent seeking information in relation to the d.
t;on of land into shifts and believing it is only by
free exchange of opinions views, and practices that
we can hope to approximate perfection, give the
plans and views pursued by myself they rath-
er novel; with what conceive to be its advantages.
The land lies very nearly square-that is, what is,
and what is laid off to be, cleared-and will contain
400 acres 1t is being laid off in Is lots of Is
each-a farm road running around each. This ar
rangement will give lots, 100 acres for uheat; 2
lots so acres for corn lots, 200 for clover
lot Is acres for tobacco and street. potatoes bees
rots, &c.; and lot, Is acres for peas. The rotation
will be as follows
LIST year-CoRN: Clouer sown when the corn is laid
by, with pecks of plaster.
I'd year-CLovER Plastered in spring; cut once ear
ly; fallowed in August and September
for wheat after the second heading.
Sd year-WHEAT: Buckauheat sown after wheat is
cut, either for grain or fallow.
4th year-CLovER: Plastered; cut twice.
5th year-ToBAcco: Well MANFRED, both broadcast
and in the hill, with compost.
9th year-WHEAT: Iurneps upon the stubble fallow;
conposted.
7th year-PEAs: For crop; broadcast with clover.
9Th year-CLovER: Plastered cut twice.
9th year-CoRN again, and SO on.
In addition to the regular crops, there is Is
of buckacheat, and Is acres of trneps There will be
the benefit of clover fallows for arheat and for
corn the clean fallow for trheat after tobacco will
answer for seed 1cheat Each of the lots will
main tco gears in coverto be cut for hay and seed
ttotce in years-that is, every year there will be
lots of coUer OF two years standing after the seeding
year. Land will not only be improved faster by this
arrangement but lots be selected suited to each
crop, time given to bring it to suitable state, and
a much larger amount of provender in the shape of
good clover hay, can be raised for stock-a larger
number Of which can be judicously kept, and, con-
sequently, much more abundant supply of manure
prepared.
This arrangement of lots will, without trouble, be
found incompatible with grazing land this will
prove another decided advantage, for stock kept up
in suitable lot, and fed upon cut clover will thrive
better yield more milk, and three times the manure
To remedy this trouble, fast possible the
under growth and smaller trees will be removed
from the woodland-this married heavily, coultered
and down in Kentucky blue grass and achite clo
Der. A beautiful permanent, and improving pas
ture will be secured and with advantage to the tim
Der trees.
Corn tobacco &C., will be MANFRED in the hill,
with compos adapted to each heretofore mention
ed, and all the manure applied as top dressing to
coue to bring the lots into suitable state for its
production. The cleared land has been married at
the rate of $50 bushels per acre. and at each
sion of corn will receive another dose upon the clover
fallow.
1t may be objected to the above arrangement and
cultivated in corn-50 acres But, by this rotation,
this amount properly cultivated, and MANFRED in the
hill with compost will certainly yield $500 bushels
which is more than is usually raised upon two or
three times the land under other modes.
Plant the corn by 8, leaving two stalks in the
HILL which give 1860 stalks to the acre, 1868 900
to the SO If the compost be used each stalk
will yield one, and many two ears-say one-which
will certainly give 5000 bushels. Now, calculate
the difference in the time and expense of so eultiva
ting and manuring so acres and 100 upon the old
three shift SYSTEM and the result will be found vast
y in favor of the former besides the difference in the
yield To manure so in the hill, will require
$500 bushels of compost, which can be prepared in
10 days. if the materials convenient at outlay
of from S25 to S75 and by udicious cement, in
many cases, without even this outlay.
Cost of cultivating 100 acres of land on
shift SYSTEM SIS per acre $500
Cost of cultivating SO acres composted. $3.50
Preparation and cost of compost 81 per
In favor of the latter ......... $50
Yield of 100 acres on shift system, Is bushels
per acre, $500, at so cents $3.50
Yield of SO composted $500, at SO cts. 1890
In favor of compost $3.50
Thus there is an actual making and saving of S7OC
per year favor of this rotation besides having the
difference in the amount of time, to devote to i'm
provement or to other crops. Nor is this all 81
dcreS are laying III Clover, yleIdng from oO 10 1Oe
tons of hay besides improving the land in value 2j
per cent. per annum. The subsequent wheat crop
after this clover lay, will be nearly double if sown
after Add all these advantages together, and
see if, in the course of one year, the far is not
benefited more than the value of his usual crop.
The foregoing is the plan laid down written down
operations, after study, enquiry, &c. hope, BY it
to secure increased annual crops, improved land
and better provender for my stock, and to real
lo44 offor
of its merits or demerts it should meet the approval
of Others shall be amply repaid for the trouble OF
this communication. If any one will offer better
through the medium of the g Farmer or any other
agricultural paper, shall willingly adopt it. seek
the best plan of securing increasing crops and impro
wing lands. T.
P. George, Va, Oct. Goth, 1849.
| GuanO for Melons, &c.
To the Editor of the american Farmer:
Will you permit me to aid you in answering the
enquiry of of your correspondents respecting the
adaptation of guano to the production of watermel
ons have been in the habit of using it for severa