Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-02-12
Farm and Household.
SUCCESSION OF CROPS.


AT meeting of farmers held at
birmingham, Mass, Professor Z.
A. Goessman, of Amherst, spoke
ulon Rotation of Crops" He
began his instructive discOurSewlth
a history of the agriculture Of the
past and its bearing on the present,
pointing out what science has done
in the present century, and also the
principles which underlie we'll rec
ognized modes in farm practice
The relation of plants to the soil
and the peculiar relation which the
construction of plants exerts were
described, as we'll as the manures
at our disposal for bringing about
conditions favorable to rotation
The great value of chemical and
commercial fertilizers, said the
speaker. as supplements to barn
Nard manures and other homo re-
sources of manurial substances is
today universally conceded; they
deserve also as substitutes in va
rious exceptional conditions a rec
ommendatiOn. a judiciOuS selec-
ton of some special commercial
fertilizer can supply quite frequent
IS the deficiency OF his soil and
hereby rendera succession OF crops
rtmunerative winch otherwise
would offer no prospect of an eco
ucmical success. The main point
TO be kept in view in the arrange
meut of an economical system OF
rotation is to secure "a desirable adj
yantageOus physical condition OF
tbe soil for each crop to be cnltl-
vated. Some crops, as potatoes,
corn, and some grain crops, if well
mauuIed, can more frequently be
raised upon the same lands without
ascrious falling Of than others, as,
for instance, clover and other deep
rooted legnminous plants. Winter
grains prosper best on somewhat
more compact soil; clover, root
crops in general, and hoed crops
require a well.pulverized soil to do
their best a suitable mechanical
condition Of the soil IS evidently in
these and similar cases Of a para
mount importance to liberal manur-
ing. Professor GOessman cOnclud-
cd with these suggestions concern
ing a system Of rotation: l. Crops
% the same character ought not to
be raised in close succession upon
the same lands not grain crop az
ter grain crop or root crop after
root crop. ,. Crops which con-
sumo large proportions of one or
two kinds OF mineral constituents
IN particular ought to be succeeded
hy those which require but small
quantity of them; hoed crops after
grain crops, or phosphoric acid con-
snming crops after largely pOtasSa
containing plants. 3. Shallow root
ing plants should follow deep root
ing and foliaceOus ones, to ecOnO-
mize the vegetable refuse mass left
behind by the latter. 4. Some kind
of hoed crop should be in the course
adopted, at least every few years,
10 assist in the destruction of OBJ
noxiOus weeds and insects as well
as Of parasite growth of every de
scriptlon. }. The selection Of crops
shonld be made, in a mixed farm
management in particular, with ref.
ercnce to an ample supply of fod-
der crops to enable the production
OF "A liberal amount of homemade
manure for the home industry. 6.
Each crop in the adopted course
should be placed in such a position
as 70 have the full benefit of a good
preparation Of the soil and a proper
time for seeding. Z. Crops should
also be placed in such position to
each other as to enable an advan-
taceOus distribution OF the work
required during the season with
reference to the resources OF labor
az disposal. s. The manure, in
particular the barnyard manure,
should be literally given to the
hood crops anc all those crops
which necessitate a thorough me-
chanical preparation of the soil for
their successful cultivation, to be
thoroughly incorporated into the
soil aud facilitate the destruction
Of the growth of foul seeds. 8. The
entire system of cultivation and APP
plicatiOn of manure of every de.
scription should be devised with a
view to benefit all parts of the pro-
duciug area of the farm. 10. The
industry adopted should strive to
:, cure from the lands under Guilt
walton the highest pecuniary re-
turns, with a fixed determination to
improve rather than to impair the
prOductlveness of the lands engag-
ed for its operation.
DUST FOR HENs.-Store away a
few bushels of dry road dust for the
hens to dust in during the winter
advises poultry sancier. Give
Them enough of IL and have 10 ell