Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1858-05-07
lGlIITITIRAI Ann 1lNlSFIE
From the Amefican Fafmef.A =
ROTATION FOR a. GRAINFFARm.

Glove n. g. wishes 10 be advised as
to the bss. plan OF working four field
shift in which he proposes to cultivate
wheat, corn, oats aud clover. "A meadow
Is devoted to hay aud pastursge, and the
aplsnd is exclusively devoted to. grain
growing. The soil is variable US TO orig
inal quai;ty. aud as. 10 its present condi-
tisn oi fertility He suggests The two 70.
taIions OF corn on sod. oats. wheat and
clover and wheat on clover tallow, corn,
eats and clover. between which he is un.
decided.
Without undertaking to answer TIE va
rions questions and suggestions OF cur
friend in detail, We will endeavor TO do so
Substantially, hoping as he intimates,
that We may, at the same time, serve
him and others. 7,
There are two thiags which the right
thinking farmer has always in view; LIST,
al annual income Cd, the gradual, but
aertain improvement Of his land. Puts
ting out Of view any extraneous means
which he may be possessed-the income
is'ths FIRST necessity. He must make
himself as far as possible. sure of this.
but he must not. for this purpose. pursue
. system which would be Inconsistent
with the second object. He must in his
arrangements give due consideration 10
the permanent Improvement Of his land.
Keeping these principles in view, let US
consider the case which our correspon-
dent proposes.
In cropping. the leading principle is TO
lake tie 6est care of the erop-to give it the
best preparation, and tue best position III
rotation.
Where cotton is the reliance for an in
come, il receives the chief attention. and
has its wants first louked to SO with to-
baeco, or whatsoever the crop. In this
sass wheat is the main crop. and claims
BY virtue ofthe principle the best posi-
tion in the programme. This place with
cut question is the clover fallow-as- be-
lag. all things considered, the best and
most certain preparation for this impur-
tant crop. The manure which the crop
would receive would go 10 the poorer
portions Of the field. so as TO produce unl>
formity as far as possible. The corn
would follow wheat, then oats and then
clover. This we would advise looking
only 10 immediate income. Blu, the que.
ton now arises. how far such rotation
10 consistent with the other consideration
the improvement Of the land. o. as
between the two plans proposed. which is
beat. looking at the same lime, 10 both
considerations.
Under the plan which gives the clover
falloW to the wheat crop. the land lies
after harvest. until the blowing for corn
next winter or spring. with no useful
crop upon it. except SO far as the growth
Of weeds turned under. may be useful
benefit counterhaIanced, it may be, by
noxious insects to which they give har>
Dor. The corn takes the second place,
the oats the third. aud the clover the
fourth. Three exhausting crops take
immediate precedence OF it. and it comes
in with a secondary crop (that Of oats
which is not of sufficient importance TO
command ordinarily either the manure
Of tho farm yard, or those which we pur
chase. Nor is the crop Of oats eonsid.
cred so favorable to the success of the
clover sown with it as wheat. The clio
yer, therefore, while the improvement Of
the land dependent upon it. has the
Worst possible chance OF success. Under
the plan which puts the corn upon the
clover sod, the first effect is the failing ol
the staple. wheat. which follows the oats
0tubble. but increase at the same time
Of the crop Of corn. The yield Of corn
will not only be more abundant under Ia.
VorAble conditions Of the season. but
much more secure against injury bs
drought. The crop Of oats will be better
too for being nearer the clover sod. The
Increase in these two crops will cOmpen'
sate in a measure, at least. for the falling
of in that Of wheat. But the wheat crop
II worth making a special effort for. and
will command the best Offices OF the far
msr. not only in raising manures upor
the farm Tor it, but in buying fertilizers
70 insure crop. With these helps VT
know that judicious farmers in many sec
lions Of our grain. growing country lool
with great favor upon the oat stubblt
~ preparation for wheat. The plcw
ing of the clover field is much more de-
pendent on the state of the weather thar
the oat stubble, and in times OF drough
the following is often delayed until We
~ late period. The breaking up the Ga
stubble destroys only the growth .
weeds after cat harvest-the breaking VI
Of . clover fallow destroys crop Of clio
yer whose beneficial effects might hav,
continued at least six months longer. Blu
the most material point is this. that th'
clover crop gets the benefit of the extrI
preparation and manuring Of the whea
crop. 1t comes in for a share OF the ma
nurs at any rate. and a small share will
give it an important impetus. This is
consideration also. and the experience O
Last season will give force 10 it, that III
wheat erap failing q valuable crop is still
On the ground TO- get the benefit of III
mAnures. II be does not get the valu
Of the manures 10 the crop. he gets it il
The improvement Of the land. With whea
nnnn tina clover sod il the nrnn fails III,