The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1857-11-25
A SEVEN FIELD ROTATION.

Mr.. A. Y. Moore, an ex-president Of the
Michigan State Agricultural Society, and /
said to be an excellent practical farmer,
furnishes TO the Ohio Farmer, the Rotation
he has adopted and practiced for wheat
farm land, climate and location being best
adapted to that crop.
His farm contains one hundred and sixty
acres, twenty Of which is devoted to garden,
lawn and lots for root crops, pasturage, &C.
The remainder is divided into seven fields
OF twenty acres each, which are farmed on
the following plan First year, corn; second,
oats !; third, wheat; fourth, clover; fifth,
wheat sixth, wheat, and seventh clover.
The Rotation begins with corn upon a
clover sod, the clover being filled with seed
at the time, and all the manure of the farm
yard ploughed- under with it. He ploughs
deeply for corn, and aims to bury the clover
seed so deeply that it will not be brought
to The surface or germinate before it is
wanted. His corn is worked ON the surface.
For the crop of oats. the ploughing IS
shallow. that the turf below, and the seed,
may not be disturbed.
For wheat the oat stubble is pioughed
deeply, bringing to the surface the rotted
turf and clover seed, making a dressing for
the crop of grain and seeding the ground
amply for " set" of clover without addi-
tional seed.
The fourth year the clover is grazed a
part Of the season, and enough allowed to 60
to seed to seed the ground again. This is
ploughed down deeply and wheat sown in
the fall.
The fifth year the wheat comes off, the
stubble is again deeply ploughed to bring up
the rotted turf and seed Of the foregoing
year, and wheat sown again.
The sixth year the wheat is followed by
clover, which occupies the groond during
the seventh; after which the corn begins
the rotation as at first.
We give this plan Of cropping, that our
readers in arranging their rotations may
have the benefit Of its suggestions. The
economy Of clover seed is worthy Of notice.
Yet il is by no means certain, to our mind,
that this advantage is not gained at too great
an expense. The turning under Of the cio-
! yer stems after they had ripened the seed,
would we think be uniayorable TO the crop
of wheat. And the seed terminating as II
would in the TALL Immediately after the wheat
seeding, the clover would advance rapidly
in the spring to the injury of that crop.
Under ordinary circumstances clover seeded
in September. or early in October, will bloom
and mature, nearly as soon as that sown the
; previous spring. A vigorous and thick
growth Of wheat may however so restrain II
as to prevent an injurious interference.
A pea fallow might advantageously take
the place Of the crop Of oats, or immediately
succeed il, the peas having been sown Will
the oats.
So many divisions Of the farm are yer,
objectionable unless cross fencing be aban
doned, as Il ought to be, where grazing i
not a part Of the system. The day vii
come when grain growers and planters vii
he amazed al the willingness with whicl
they have so long borne this enormous tax o
cross fencing for the mere accommodation
their working stock and few mich cows.
american Former.