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

ta,ion, which the Divine mind has simpresod nnon All
the planets OF our system, is carried out in all the de-.
tails OF animal and vegetable life, spon the face Of the
globe. We have a constant succession of ses.on, as.h
having its own peculiarities, and preparing the vav e.,
its successor, in the circling year. Each month has it,
strongly marked features, and its appropriate vorf y,
the forces of Nature. The Winter is, by no mean. = :
season lost to the purposes Of vegetable growth. thouch
all plants are apparently struck with paralysis. and no
changes v'sao'e 20 the eye are going forward. The agen.
e,es OF frost and water are now active in field and forest
disintegrating both the organic, and the inoro.n;c
materials of the soil + The frost breaks down ronch
hard clods into a finer tilth than the rlow and the hsr.
row can ever secure. e3 tsHail ne 9 'saFs $3.50
In The forest, q constant succession of trees and plants
are kept up However bountifully the walnut may shed
'ts nuts. they are not to reproduce their kind upcn the
same soil Of the parent tree. They will be borne down
1.-THE stream by the waters, or transported by SQUIRRELS To
new locality, to take possession aud replace the OAK.
the chestnut, or some other forest tree. We rarely end
an e~xtirpated forest. left to itself, replaced By the same
varieties of trees. Hard wood trees are often Succeeded
by pines or frs, and these cvergreens are followed bv
deciduous trees. M -
The same law Of rotation is observed in the smaller
plants aud grasses.
In the field where wild strawberries flourish in the
greatest abundance, after a few years, few if any will be
found. The grasses which before were scantv have
entirely s%uPplanted 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 OF the sea water, and drain these marshes. and a
new order of vegetation starts into being as if by magic
Shore weeds come in, and have their brief dav. then
moses, dandelions, dock, and thistles, to be supnlanted
IN their turn by upland grasses, clover, herds. and red
top.
Nature then points the husbandman to q rotation of
crops. as one OF the necessities Of his calling, It was
not until about a century ago, that this subject received
much attention. IT shifts in the crops were made. it
was not with any understanding Of the philosophy of
tha .tanoo Tho foo ~. cronl 49, L n
all, that land continually kept in grass, gradually be.
came barren and Improbable. Flowing and manuring
MAS a remedy, and hOed crops, either roots or grain.
would pay for the labor and manure necessary to 1t the
land for grass again. Yet there was a reason for this
rotation. aside from the benefit of stirring the soil and
adding new elements to its fertility. Arthur Young. an
eminent English writer upon agriculture, was among
the first to point out the advantages Of good succession
of crops. He claimed, that whenever very good or yerv
bad husbandry is found on arabic land, It is more the
result OF a right or wrong arrangement Of the crops. than
ct any other circumstance; that no district is we'll cul-
iivated under bad rotations, while it is extremely rare to
,nd one badly cultivated under such as are good. III is.
perhaps, owing as much TO his labor, as that of any other
one man, that England now has a we'll defined system
vi cropping her farms. The given routine for . certain
variety Of soil is followed with great uniformity, and is
rarely departed from, except for the purpose Of expert.
ment. The experience Of her best farmers has deter
mined this rotation, and it is found to be more profitable
than any other arrangement Of the crops.
The philosophy Of this rotation is explained by two
theories. The frst or ercyctory theory accounts for the
phenomena thus: One crop does better where it follows
another, because every plant leaves in the soil certain
cxcretory matters, that are not friendly to other plants
of its own species; while they are appropriate for differ
ent plants Plants seem endowed with something Of
the same instinct az animals, and avoid their own feces
or the dead matter thrown from their own bark and
roots. Until these are decomposed, and removed from
the earth BY other plants, or hy the gradual Effects of
decomposition, the same crop cannot be advantagcously
planted III the same soil. Hence in raising Dubious
flowers, like the hyacinth which grows in water, there
must be Il frequent change Of the water, in order to re.
move the excretory matter thrown of from the roots Of
the plant. This same foul water, however, is found to
be a good stimulant to other kinds of plants. and will
sometimes make them flourish even. better than pure
water. tits also q we'll known fact, that nurserymcn
find it difficult to make a second crop Of young apple
trees grow, where they have been grown before. Even
with heavy manuring they find it better policy to take
a piece Of ground 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, tits in case of gross feeders.
where a great deal Of manuse is used, which,, by its fer.
mentation in the soil, decomposes the e~xcretory 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 great %rapidity upon all vegetable fiber. So
much for this theory.
The second theory may i 81 stated thu: Each 9 . plant
absorbs some essential constituent from tho soil, which,
in time, becomes exhausted. If. for instance. the wheat
plant demands phosphate Of lime, andsthere- is but a
small quantity in the soil, it fails to be perfectly deyel-
oped when it cannot end q full supply Of this mineral.
1t must be restored by the application Of manure or by
n fallow, or the growth Of some other crop that does not
require much phosphate Of lime for its perfect develop.
nent. Another example is frequently given Of root
crops, which usually contain considerable quantities Of
alka!ics. This theory sapposes q sroot crop to exhaust
the ready formed alkalies in . soil, aud that alkaline
manure must be added or a change Of crops be made.
while u further disentegration of the soil is setting at
liberty new supplies Of alkalies.
We think there is some truth in both of tile theories
as above stated, but that neither of them, and especially
not the second one, will fully account for the advantages
Of a rotation. -m %
1t is probably the exhaustion Of the orcaui, Or yepet.
able matters in the soil, more by one crop than by an.
another, that chiefly has to do With the benefit OF =
change Of crops.
A rotation Is not only demanded for the sake of fur.
nishing a new pasture ground for the roots Of plants,
but to prevent the increase Of predatory grubs and in.
sccts. The instinct Of these wonderful creaturesaeads
them to deposit their eggs where the young when
Matched, will find their favorite food in readiness. The
gence of man circumvents this instinct, BY chang.
ing the crop, and cutting of the supplies of the young
grub. 8 "a ,-t8agE8A} ,sgn@iN .sItJ .
The light lands Of England are commonly cultivated
nnder a four or five course system.-The four course
system begins with faiiow ground, manured LIST wear.
tnrnips fed off; Cd, oats Or barley; Sd, grass seed
dth, wheat The Eve course is : turnips; oats or
barley clover peas; wheat. .sania-sG
On heavy clays the rotation is usually fallow, With
mannrci;' wheat beans wheat Inanured ~cl5yer; oats
or wheat. Al za'vTf iA'2's sac sa''essA
While rotation is rigidly adhered TO, The variations
are considerable, to meet the varieties Of soil, and the
conditions Of the market. 2 s'~,'i - ..s
There is, perhaps, no point in good busbandry 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 a
common fault with us, to keep our land too long in one
crop. Grass, not unfrequently occupies the same field
for eight or ten years, until less than half a ton of bay
is cut to the acre. -n-sr IL k41:sx.4a9
We have seen large tracts Of excellent light land
made barren, by cropping with sryo in alternate years.
The same result follows with wheat and ~buckwheat.
Now is the time for farmers to mature their plans for