Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-12-31
COMMUNICATED.
Bringing Exhausted Land into Fer
tiiitY.

The plan is half century old-in fact older
than that for it became general in England
then So universally common is it there that
for the last thirty years all the arabic land IN
the country is brought into a rotation which at
the end Of the course leaves it with the nUtrl-
mcnt distracted, 50 that there actually Is not
plant food to produce another crop to pay tor
harvesting
This remedy is o crop Of turnips which is
eaten on the land and where the iarm-yard
manure does not hold out and on a great pro-
portion Of the outlying land on large farms,
some 1ertiziDg substance, such as superphoS-
| phate, guano, etc, is drilled In with the tur-
nip seed, and through being in such proximity
with the turnps they absorb nearly the whole
virtue in the application, yet the dung and
urine from the sheep act IN manner so power
| tut that full crops can be grown till in due
| course it comes round again. In many lnStan-
ces the artificial manure gives the turnips such
. start that they absorb the whole of the mat
ter in few weeks, when the leaves take in
support from the atmosphere and perfect
heavy quantity Of buds, and this is particularly
| the case on light laud.
In the Northern States the weather in the
winter is so much more severe as to prevent
the eating OF the crop on the land after the
middle OF December, but up to about that time,
and from the middle of September, the con-
sumption of turnips can be quite as we'll done,
wich is giving ample time to crrry out the sys-
| ten. ANY one having sheep and an English
| shepherd would have no trouble In the matter
excepting in Obtaining hurdles or a substitute
for them, 50 that the sheep can be daily moved
on fresh ground, to have their droppings left
regularly all over the surface. 1t would be
great benefit to this country if travellers visit
ing England would give particular attention to
this system, which enables tenant farmers to
pay heavy rents, keep up the stamina OF the
SOIL and make much betterlivings than Amer-
cans do who own their farms.
As the population becomes thicker and farm
ers cannot run down their land farther or run
away from it and get more in the West to serve
the same, the exhausted land will have to be
farmeG liz the English style, or there will be
nothing but little plot farming-a few acres
kept ia toerable heart at the expense of the
rest Of the farm, and to any good agrieulturlst
there can be nothing so Qisgraceiul as one por-
ton Of any mans land sacrificed to support the
rest.
To bring exhausted land into good state
fertility is one of the easiest proceedings in the
world, for if there is no heavy or any manure
to be had within reasonable distance, it is only
to obtain light concentrated kind and grow
| turnips to be eaten, and the manure
will cause any crop to grow after, among which
clover can be sown and that can be disposed of
in the same way as the turnips, or in any way
circumstances may demand. Having once re-
established fertility the rotation must be
brought to come round often enough to keep
up richness and endeavor to increase the depth
of good soil, as well Where there is good
natural grass land, like the Kentucky blue grass
region, or any other good natural grasses, it is
wise to continue the best portions in perma-
nent pasture and moving; for, be it known,
the mixed natural grasses, when managed pro-
perry, make hay equal to any on the face of the
globe.
DIVISION OF TENNESSEE Brownlow of
Tennessee il his annual message to the Leg
islature, at its January session, will advocate
the division OF the State. East Tennessee is
said to be united on this question, in demand
ing separation from the middle and western
portions of the State. The Governor is also
an editor, and in his Knoxville Wing thus
foreshadows the new movement: East Tenn
esseans will all be unit for the separation We
will accept, too the terms. We are ready to
90 empty handed. Middle and West Tennes-
see may have their railroads, public buildings,
turnpikes, and only their proportion Of the