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most execrable within the scope pfT the imagina
tion." Yet this system takc3 a crop of corn or
tobacco the first year, wheat or oats the second,
and rests or lies out in grass from harvest of the
second year, and throughout the third year hav
ing very nearly two years, of rest from the taking
off of the second crop to the time of breaking
again for corn or tobacco. The four field system
with a fallow for wheat, which he proposes, takes
a crop of corn or tobacco, and two crops of small
grain -in four years, and gives in that time about
the same amount of rest a Jajge portion of this
time, viz ; all after the second crop, is devoted to
a growth of ragweed, which, however, perishes
upon the land. But for this weed which seems to
leave nothing but dry sticks to be returned to the
land, this system with its extra crop of fallow,
wheat, would bov theoretically much more objec
tionable as regards the preservation of the soil
than the three shift system. Yet we confess the
most successful farming within our personal knowl
edge, both as to immediate results and the preser
vation of the soil, is done under this system. Our
own knowledge of it is in Maryland, and we know
that it is practiced with equal success in portions
of Virginia. But th life of jhls system is red
clover ; and we do not know that it is practiced
successfully where this most valuable improver is
not relied upon, and where it does not flourish, and
we suspect that the success of either rotation will
depend mainly upon the careful culture of this
plant. The four field system of Col. Taylor which
hn proposed as a substitute for that of three fields,
left the third and fourth year entirely to grass.
The fault of this is that the clover passing away
during the third year, the fourth year is occupied
with weeds of various sorts and blue grass, the
former exhausting the land and the latter a serious
enemy of wheat and clover. The land becomes
what is termed out, and clover refuses to grow up
on it. Nothing is better settled in practice than
the necessity of active, cleansing cultivation, for
the .successful cultivation of clover. The term
' clover sick," being applicable rather to land full
of crude vegetable matter not capable of being
appropriated, than by the frequent recurrence of
the very destructiblclover plant.
The five field system which makes a clover fal
fow the fourth rear and leaves the fifth year for
roU, hii the objection to it, that the fifth year must
I)) given up to the natural growth of weeds j clo
ver if sown, rarely succeeding upon fallow.
The point to benimed at, is the largest amount
of crop, vi;h the lo-ut anmat'of injury to.thc
land. ,Tr
to the la:.
ct the least injury, or tie i;;r
he interval between tic ex!
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crops should be as far as possible occupied with
such plants as arc ameliorating themselves, r.rul do
not induce subsequent evils. The growth of weeds
with'their decay upon the surface may be amelior
ating, but they leave their seeds, which may be
ruinous to future crops, and are nurseries of in
sects. A. blue grass turf is ameliorating in some
respects, binding the soil to preserve it from wash
ing, and affording a good bottom for the coming ,
crop of corn, but blue gras3 as well as weeds, is
the enemy of the great ameliorator, clover. "Whilo
clover is the sine pia non it is of itself every thing.
It perfectly,;entirely supplies all the needs of the
most valuable plants at the very leaiost. Noth
ing, therefore, which is inimical .to it should beal.
lowed in your system. Let the great aim be to
grow clover. That will grow everything else. But
not only has clover this value, but we believe that
the system which grows the greatest amount of
crop3 is the moot favorable to its growth. That
system, as we have said, whicli requires such quick
succession of profitable crops as ives the clover
when sown a well cleansed bed on wl;!:'; to "row.
We have often seen thi3 plant, even on w; in out
lands succeed much better after two succe::-ive
crops of corn, than on the same lands after a sin
gle cleansing crop.
Acting upon these suggestions, we will say to
our correspondent, that he may find the four field
system he proposes, sowing wheat upon clover fal-.
low and wheat or oats after corn, a suitable one. It
is a system productive of crops. It is favorable to
the growth of clover, because it affords no time
inc uvvuiiiuiauuit ui UUUC UUU IllUILTUSUUiQi' ,
vegetable matters m the soil. The clover itself
and the rag weed, while they afford large returns j j;
of vegetable matter to the soil, are at the samebJ
'time very destructible, readily decomposed, andP
available at once as ' food for the large crops
grown. ' v
For this system, and indeed for any system, a
standing pasture, or extra-pasture ground i3 essen
tial. In nothing do we see more milmanageracnt
than on this point of grazing our arablejands.
Overstocking upon such land?, is the curse of any
system. We profess to be cotton or tobacco plant
ers, or corn and wheat growers, but we expect tho
same lands that we devote to these purposes to
grow beef and mutton and wool and pork besides.
We can't reist the temptation to "turn out"
calves and lambs without number, until our stock
accumulates on our banda, and wo fail in both
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