Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-01-22
Farm, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
Succession of Crops.

At a meeting of farmers held at Franz
ingham, Mass, Professor G. A. Goessman,
Of Amherst, spoke upon Rotation of
Crops He began his instructive dis
course with a history of the agriculture
of the past and its bearing on the pres
ent, pointing out what science has done
in the present century, and also the prin-
ciples which underlie well recognized
modes in farm practice. The relation of
plants to the soil and the peculiar rela-
ton which the construction of plants ex-
erts were described, as well as the man
ures at our disposal for bringing about
conditions favorable to rotation. The
great value of chemical and commercial
fertilizers, said the speaker, as supple
ments to barnyard manures and other
home resources of manurial substances is
to-day universally conceded; they de-
serve also as substitutes in various eXcep-
tional conditions recommendation. A
judicious selection of some special COM
mercial fertilizer can supply quite fire.
quently the deficiency of his soil and
thereby render succession of crops re-
munerative which otherwise would offer
no prospect of an economical success.
The main point to be kept in view in the
arrangement of an economical system of
rotation is to secure a desirable advan-
tageous physical condition of the soil for
each crop to be cultivated. Some crops,
as potatoes, corn, and some grain crops,
if well MANFRED, can more frequently be
raised upon the same lands without SER
ious falling off than others, as, for in
stance, clover and other deep-rooted le-
guminous plants. Winter grains prosper
best on somewhat more compact soil !;
clover, root crops in general, and hoed
crops require -pulverized soil to do
their best; suitable mechanical condi-
ton of the soil is evidently in these and
similar cases of a paramount importance
to liberal manuring. Professor Goess-
man concluded with these suggestions
concerning system of rotation: 1.
Crops of the same character ought not to
be raised in close succession upon the
same lands; not grain crop after grain
crop or root crop after root crop 2.
Crops which consume large proportions
of one or two kinds of mineral constitu-
ents in particular ought to be succeeded
by those which require but a small guam
tity of them; hoed crops after grain
crops, or phosphoric acid consuming
crops after largely potassa containing
plants. 3. Shallow roofing plants should
follow deep roofing and foliaceous ones,
to economic 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, to as
sist in the destruction of obnoxious
weeds and insects as well as of
parasite growth of every de-
scription. 5. The selection of crops
should be made, in a mixed farm man
agement in particular, with reference to
an ample supply of fodder crops to en-
able the production of a liberal amount
of homemade manure for the home indus
try. 6. Each crop in the adopted course
should be placed in such position as to
have the full benefit of a good prepara-
ton of the soil and proper time for
seeding. 7. Crops should also be placed
in such position to each other as to en-
able an advantageous distribution of the
work required during the season with
reference to the resources of labor at dis
posal, s. The manure, in particular
the barnyard manure, should be literally
given to the hoed crops and all those
crops which necessitate thorough me-
chanical preparation of the soil for their
successful cultivation, to be thoroughly
incorporated into the soil and facilitate
the destruction of the growth of foul
seeds. 0. The entire system of cultiva-
ton and application of manure of every
description should be devised with view
to benefit all parts of the producing area
of the farm. 10. The industry adopted
should strive to secure from the lands UNI
der cultivation the highest pecuniary re
turns, with fixed determination to i'm
prove rather than to impair the produc-
tiveness of the lands engaged for its
operation.