The tri-weekly news. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1865-1876, 1866-03-27
Rotation CT nc Rotation.


incidentally heard a short discussion
upon some agricultural points, the cliet
OF winch was whether rotation is or ;s
not, the best method Of planting. Ii
occurred to us that tho subject is one
which may well engage the attention Of
the public. That there is great divers
ty ofopinion upon this very subject,
every one knows. Some contend for
rotation of crops, other, hold that there
Is no advantage in such system. The
point at Issue cannot be decided by. any
ore individual, nor even by several.
The proper way is to get the aggregate
opinion upon both sides. and then see
upon which plan the majority agree.
No better medium for such an ex.
preston Of opinion could be found than
the Ne,Os, and we therefore tender the
use OF its columns to all who are dispos.
ed to give the benefit of thGirexperonce
TO thepnblic. -.
There can be no donbt that economy
in every department of agricultural in.
tercsts must now be practiced, and no
one OF these departments needs so much
as that which involves the making and
saving Of manure.
Without any experimental knowledge
of the art Of agriculture, we presume
that the object of rotation of crops is
two.foll. l.. To realize the greatest
profit from the land. 2. To compen
safe for the want of manure. In the
discussion OF this subject the first point
to decide would be, ,ohy is rotation nc.
ccssary} ? In answer to- this, perhaps a
statement illustrating the point. would
be best. Here is ten acre field Just
cleared, The soil possesses all tho. pro.
perties Of our best lands. The first crop
planted is corn. The corn is gathered
| Now what is the condition Of that soil L?
Does it hold the same amount Of nutri.
| tive element that it. did before If so,
it would make, all other things equal,
| the same amount Of corn the second
yoar that it did the first. And so il
would do for an indefinite number of
years III succession. But facts prove
that the same soil deteriorates by sue.
cession of several crops ofthe same kind
Well, what does this prove ?, Why
that the same constituent elements are
taken out of the ground every year, and,
just as a bucket of water will be- OK.
hausted il slowly dipped out cup.full af
ter cup.fnll so will the soil of particu.
lar field be deprived of all its peculiar
elements that 60 to make corn, if corn
be produced upon it several years in
succession. OF course in this supposed
case there is no annual application of
manure.
And lust here we might say a great
deal on the importance of what we once
heard an educated gentleman call "in
telligent farming" But our space will
not permit it.
To continue the statement. Upon
this ten.acre field, after the corn has to
all appearances exhausted so much Of
what it feeds upon that it is no longer
profitable TO continue planting that CO.
real, cotton is planted, and makes
profitable crop ofthat article. Nov
what's the inference from this factf
Nis that the cotton plant and the cora
plant do not both feed upon The sans
amountof The same elements. En-
stance, IN the analysis of~~~'"' SO small
proportion OF it i~sHtty Substance that
no one ucsfd ever think ofextracting
,,-niit NJ CORN IN tl,o al oe bnn,l sxk