The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1858-02-24
Of CrOpS.

of the earth is made continually attractive. The ~.
ta;Ion, which the Divine mind has impressed unon Al,
me planets OF our system, is carried out in all the de.
tails OF ANNA and vegetable life, upon the face Of tho
globe. We have 4 constant succession of soosons .saS
having Its own pecuharities, and preparing the way for
ats successor, in the circling year. Each month has -
strongly marked features. and its appropriate work. nv
the forces OF Nature. Tie Winter is, BY 40 means. \
season lost to the purposes of vegetable growth, thouch
all plants are apparently struck with paralysis and %
changes visible to the eye are going forward Tbs
eses OF frost and water are now active in field and fores,
tisintegrating both the organic, and the ;norg,n;c
materials of the soil" The frost breaks down rnuch
hard clods into a finer filth than the Pillow and the hsr.
row can ever secure.
In the forest, a constant succession Of trees and plants
are Kept up. However beautifully the walnut may Shed
ITS nuts. they are not to reproduce their kind mon the
same soil of the parent tree. They will be borne down
'the stream by the waters, or transported by SQUIRRELS to
4 new locality, to take possession aud replace the oak
the chestnut, or some other forest tree. We rarely find
an ~extirpased forest. left to itself, replaced by the same
varieties of trees. Hard wood trees are often succeeded
by pines or frs, and these cvcrgreens are followed lv
aeciduous trees.
The same law Of rotation IS observed in the smaller
plants and grasses.
In the field where wild strawberries flourish il, ia.
greatest abundance, after a few years, few if any will be
found. The grasses which before were scanty have
entirely supplanted them. In salt marshes, the black
grass, which is most coveted for food, is gradually
driven out by the onion grass, and other coarse Varieties.
Shut off the sea water, and drain these marshes. and \
new ORDER of vegetation starts into being as if by marie
Shore weeds come in. and have their brief day. then
MOSES. dandellons, dock. and thiS.leS, 10 be supplanted
IN their turn by upland grasses, clover, herds. and red
top.
Nature then points the hrsbandman TO a rotation Of
crops, as one Of the necessities Of his calling. !, was
hot until about L century ago, that this subject received
much attention. If shifts in the crops yere made it
was not with any understanding Of the philosophy Of
the change. The fact VAS forced upon the attention Of
all. that land continually kept in grass, gradually be.
cane barren and Improbable. Flowing and manuriny
VAS 4 remedy, and hoed crops, either roots or grain,
would pay for the labor and manure Necessary to ft the
land for grass again. Yet there was a reason for this
rotation. aside from the benefit OF stirring the soil and
Asi!ng lew elements 10 It's fertility. Arthur Young. an
eminent English writer upon agriculture, was among
The hrss 10 point out the advantages OF a good succession
"t crops. He claimed. that whenever very GOOD or very
BAD hu>handry IL found on arabic land. it is more the
result Of = right or wrong arrangement Of the crops. than
Il ANY otuer circumstance that no district is we'll cul.
'lyated under bal rotations, while it is extremely rare t.
>nl one badly cultivated under such Is are GOOD. Il is.
{etiloF-, Ming As much 10 his labor, as that of any other
one map. that Enclani now has Il wei! defined system
ri cropping her farms, The given routine tor = certain
.arie,y Of soil is foi.o~c, Il with great uniformity. and is
rarely departed from. except for the purpose of expert.
,Aeut. The experience If her best farmers has deter
mined this rotation, and it is found to be more profitable
iiiln any other arrangement Ut the crn,}S.
The philosophy 81 this rotation is explained i,y two
theories. TIE Hr<t ar ccc,etory theory accounts Tor the
phenomena thus: One crop does better where it follows
mother. tacaH-c every plant leaves ia the soil certain
cxcgetorv inattels, that are not friendly to other plants
o: its o~n species; while they are appropriate for differ
ent r}an's Plants seem endowed with something Of
the same instinct az animals, aud avoid their own f9ces
q: the dead matter thrown from their own bark and
roots. Until these are decomposed, and removed from
The earth hy other plants, or hy the gradual effects of
decomposition. the same crop cannot be advantaecousiy
planted in the same soil. Hence in raising Dubious
flowers, like the hyacintl which grows in water, there
must be Il frequent change Of the water, in order f. 70.
move the excretory matter thrown off from the roots Of
the pi-s.;. This same foul water, however, is found to
ie q good s'imulant to other kinds of plants. and will
-onetinles wake them flourish even better than pure
water. It is also a we'll known fact, that nurserymcn
lind it difficult to make a second crop of young apple
trees grow, where they have been grown before. Even
with heavy manuriug they find it better policy to take
. piece Of ggrannd that has been occupied with some
other crop. If there are exceptions to the advantage Of
rotation, as there seems to be, in the case of the onion,
and some other garden crops, its in case Of gross feeders,
where a great deal Of manuse Is used, which, BY its fer
mentaiion in the soil, decomposes the excretory matter
Of the crops of the preceding season. The onion crop is
almost always heavily MANFRED, and dressed with ashes,
which furnish lime and potash, two powerful alkalies,
that act with grca. rapidity upon all vegetable fiber. So
much for this theory.
Inc >efH7e" tloOfy may be Stated thus Each plant
absorhs some essential constituent from tho soil, which.
n tine, becomes exhausted. Il. for instance. the wheat
plant demands phosphate Of lime, and there is but a
small quantity in the soil, it fails to be perfectly deyel-
opea wien it cannot find a full supply of this mineral.
1t must he restored by the application of manure or by
II !ai!n", or the growth OF some other crop that does not
require ,vuch phosphate Of lime for its perfect deyelop.
1ncnt. Another example is frequently given of root
erops, which usually contain considerable quantities Of
alEa!i's- This theory sapposes a roo. crop to exhaust
tie realr formed alkalies in i soil, aud that alkaline
manure must be added or a change Of crops be made.
while y further disentegration of the soil is setting at
liberty new supplies Of alkalies.
We think there Is some truth in both of the theories
"a above stated, but that neither of them, and especially
not the second one, will fully account for tie advantages
Of a rotation.
II Is probably the exhaustion of the orrani, or yeeet.
able matters in the soil, more by one crop than By an.
another, that chiefly has to do with the benefit of a
change of crops.
\ rotation is not only demanded for the sake of fur.
nishing 4 new pasture ground for the roots of plants,
bat 10 prevent the increase Of predatory grubs aud in.
sects. The instinct of these wonderful creatures leads
them to deposit their eggs where the young, yhen
ha'chcl, will find their favoy;'e food in readiness. The
iiiteIli gcncc Of man circnmyent, this instinct, by chang
ing the crop, and cutting off the supplies Of the young
grub. .
The light LANDS Of England are commonly cultivated
"h''er q tour or tive coursa system. The four course
~ystrn! begins with ial!ow ground, manured ist year,
turnips lei Oft; 81, OATS or barley 81, grass seed !;
4;h, wheat, The five course is: tnrnip,; oats or
barley ri1ror peas; wheat.
Ga heavy clays the rotation is usually iallow, with
man1:e; wheat beans: wheat nanured clover oats
81 wheat.
While rotation is rigidly adhered to, Tie variations
are considerable, to meet the varieties Of soil, and the
conditions Of the market.
There is. perhaps, no point in good b~uebandry that
calls for the examination Of American farmers more
urgently than this. 1t has wrought wonders in England,
and there can be little doubt that it would work quite
as favorable a change in our own agriculture. 1t is q
common fault with US, to keep our land too long in one
crop. Grass: not untrequently occupies the same field
sor eight or ten years, until less than half a ton Of hay
il cut - the acre.
We have seen large tracts Of excellent light land
made barren, by cropping with ryo in alternate years.
The same result follows with wheat and buckwheat
Now ia the time for farmers to mature their plans for