The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1898-07-09

Of course, if more than one plow is
run, you multiply these numbers of
acres by the number of plows, except
as to wheat; with it plant what is
needed for bread and seed, and the rest
of "third-year" land plant to oats, un-
less you intend to raise wheat to sell.
The land this year in cotton is
planted next year in peas and corn,
and the year after in oats and wheat,
and SO on. In each corn row peas are
planted for seed. As soon as wheat
and oats are cut turn under the stub
BILE, at the same time dropping or drill
ing peas in every third furrow just be-
hind the pillow, to be covered by the
next furrow. This was David Dick
sons plan; and when peas are to be
planted in rows (Which is the best way,
saves labor. If time is not to be found
to cultivate the peas, it may be better
and cheaper to broadcast them than to
drop or drill
In this rotation two-thirds of the
land grows renovating crop each year,
and one that materially adds to the
fertility of the land; so that when this
system is followed it is necessarily true
that the soil becomes richer every
year. When this plan has been fol-
lowed long enough to make our fields
produce bale of cotton to the acre,
then it will be economy to cut all pea
vines for hay, rather than turn them
under for fertilizer and humus. Until
this point is reached, however, l am an
advocate of using the larger part of the
vines for manure, unless the number of
stock kept on the farm require them
for food.
In this three-year rotation only %
acres require regular and constant cul-
tivation-those in corn and cotton.
And though 80 acres have been set
aside as being fair one-horse farm, it
does seem that a good mule ought not
TO find that number too great when II
of those acres require little if any, Gull
| tivation. The old rule used to be 20
acres in cotton and 10 in corn; but
these 80 acres can be better cultivated
than the 80 acres, since because of a
greater diversity of crops the work is
better distributed during the year and
does not all press at once.
have recently given some study to
farming in England, where the yield
per acre is much larger than in the
south-perhaps double. There crop
rotation has long been a matter of ne
eessity, and is universally practiced
among all farmers, landowners and
tenants. A tenant would hardly be
able to rent land who did not follow
the practice. So universal is it that it
is generally considered a part written
or unwritten) of the contract of rental.
When land is either to be made fer
| tile or kept fertile, rotation is a neces-
sity, a sine qua non. The practice is
all but universal in the east and north
of our own country; and must soon
have the place in their agriculture that
it has in England.
The south has never given it the at
tention that it dererves. The helping
our worn fields has been pushed aside,
and we have continued in the same old
cotton rows until the waters burrows
have become bitches The first condi-
ton of its help is that two-thirds OF
our cotton fields be planted in grain or
peas; and this we have refused to com
ply with. Now that cotton mas gone
to i've cents and wheat TO one dollar,
probably we are in condition to at
least listen. We know how 10 pillow
and how to hoe, aud how to cultivate;
but we don't know how TO plant and
where to plant and what 10 plant We
,eed a better plan Ia pitching crops