74 THE FARMERS DEPARTMENT.

SYSTEMATIC ALTERHTION S OF CROPS.

In the cultivation of the ground, either in farming or gardening, a proper attentios to the regular rotation of crops forms one ofthe first and principal features of good manage- ment. although its beneficial influence has not yet been fully accounted for by chemists. The .rationale of rotation is thus given by Sir Hum- phry Dav :-—‘ It isa great advantage in the convertib e systems of cultivation, that the whole ofthe manure be employed; and that those parts ofit, which are not fitted for one crop, remain as nourishment for another. Thus if the turnip be the first in order of succession, this crop manured with recent dung immedi- ately finds sufficiently soluble matter for its nourishment, and the heat produced by fer- mentation assists the germination of the seed, and the growth of the plant. If after turnips, barley with grass-seed be sown, then the land little exhausted by the turnip crop, affords the soluble parts ofthe decomposing manure to the grain. The grasses, rye-grass. and clover main, which derive a small part only of th r organized matter from the soil, and probabl consume the gypsum in the manure, whic would be useless to other crops; these plants, likewise, by their large system of leaves, ab- sorba considerable quantity of nourishment from the atmosphere, and when ploughed in, at the end of two years, the decay of their roots and leaves afford manure for the wheat crop; and at this period of t urse, the woody fibre of the farm yard re, which contains the phosphate of lime, and the other difficult soluble parts, are broken down, and as soon as the most exhausting crop is taken, recent manure is again applied.’

Gardeners should pay particular attention to rotation of crops, as far as the nature of the thing will admitof; agood practice is to sow down part of the garden every season in grass, clover, and barley, which may be used as green food for horses and cows. The barley should be sewn with the clover. and cut down, not being allowed to ripen; thus it acts as a nurse andashade to the clover. But in all cases where this is done, let the ground he laid down in as goodcondition as possible, and the ma- nure laid on will not be lost—Land thus laid down should continue so far for two years, or if for three, the greater will be the be- nefit. However, this is generally regulated by the quantitylof ground, which can be spared from crops, for the time when the ground is wanted. The crop ofgrass, if dug in, but not too deep, for reasons given already, will ma- terially improve the soil: but on no occasion whatever trench it in, as is too often the case. This practice, although excellent, can how- ever only be applied to gardens on a large ex- tent, forits adoption would not be attended with the same advantage in the general run of our gardens.

By a rotation of the perennial crops such as quartering out currants, gooseberries, and raspberries, &c, the ground will not only be renewed. but also rested, or at least very much improved. None of these crops need cccupy the ground above twelve years, and not less than three ; this. together with trench- ing for the principle crops of autumn-planted brassica will keep the ground in fresh order, and be attended with no loss of space ; for in all large gardens, and the generality of small ones. new plantations of these things should be made to a certain extent annually, which will throw a certain proportion ofground into regular rotation. In cropping;all gardens, as

THE BRITISH AMERICAN

far as can be rendered practicable, rota- taion should be aimed at, and thus, by keep- ing all the legumes, as peas and beans. the brassica or cabbage kinds, the bulbous or onion kinds and lighter crops, as salads, &c, by themselves, each following in regular succes. sion, the garden would not only look better, but would to a certain degree, reduce the rotation required. In no case shou d any of the brassica tribe follow another upon the same piece of ground, neither should peas follow peas, nor beans, beans; onions are probably, the only exception in garden culture. A jour- nal, or plan ofthe garden should be kept, and the ground divided into portions, each of which should be numbered and a careful re- cord kept of all crops, manurilgs, trench- ings, &c.

The necessity of rotation is pointed out to us by nature; for all perennial herbaceous plants have a tendency to extend their circumference, and to rot and decay at their centre, where others ofadifl'erent kind, sprung up and suc- ceed them. This is partiCularly exemplified in the strawberry, and all such stoloniferous growing plants; mushrooms are said never to rise two successive years on the same spot. The production of the henomenon, called fairy rings, has been ascri d to the power of the peculiar fungus (Agaricu: arcades.) which formsit, of exhausting the soil of the nutriment necessary for the growth of the species. The consequence of which is, that the ring extends itselfannually; as no seeds will grow where their parents grew before them; at the same time, that the interior of the circle has been exhausted by succeeding crops; but in those places, where the fungus has died, grass has grown luxuriantly, nourishment being thus left for the support of grass and other plants, after the agaricus has exhausted all that was destined by nature for its support.

All craps for a few years thrive well on new- ly turned up Virgin mould, but in a few years they degenerate and require a fresh soil.— Land, in the course of years, often ceases to

reduce the most common vegetables, and

ds which are well laid down with cultivated grasses, lose every one of them in a few years ; they become, as it were, tired of them, but the truth is, that they have exhausted the nourish- ment proper for their respective sorts, and consequently die, and give place to others. This fact is frequently experienced by boto- nists to their regret, for a plant is often found in abundance foryears, in one field or wood, and in the course of time wholly disappears.

From the general richness of garden ground, and much manure being constantly employed in the raising of garden-crops, much less at- tention, has perhaps been paid to the courses ofcropping in the garden, than in the field. It is. however, equally necessary in one case as in the other, and the same principles are applicable to both.

A variety ofcircumstances, howerver: con- spire to prevent its being so effectually ac- complished in the garden as in the farm ; such as the smallness of the portions of ground ge-

nerally allotted to this use; the vast number of

articles which are to be grown, and theirgreat similiarity and relation to each other. The following classification may be considered the most proper :— Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and savoys; Common beans, French beans, and peas; Carrots, beets, and parsnips; Turnips, early potatoes, onions, leeks, es- Chalots, &c; '

Celery, endiVe, lettuce arc, to;

It is found in practice that celery constitutes pears on the flats, and in

an 10.

an excellent preparation for asparagus, onions and cauliflowers.

Turnips or potatoes are a good preparation for cabbages or greens.

Broccoli or cabbages are a proper prepara. tion for beans or peas.

Cauliflowers prepare well for onions, leeksl or turnips.

Old asparagus land afl'ordsa good prepara. tion for potatoes or carrots.

The strawberry, currant, gooseberry, and raspberry, for the same.

Turnips give a suitable preparation for ca. lery or endive ; and peas, when well manured, are a good preparation for spinach, &c.

By properly attending to all these different points of management, crops of almost all dog. criptions may be put into the soil, so as to sue. ceed with much greater certainty, and in a much more perfectmanner, than is usual in the ordinary methods of putting them into the ground—English Practical Gardener.

M U D.

Mud, a black or dark coloured sediment, found at the bottom of ponds, rivers. creeks, ditches, and wet sunken places. It is mostly composed of a fine vegetable mould, mixed with the substance of perished vegetables, &c, and therefore it contains much of the natural food of plants. _

In ponds and rivers, this sediment is made up of fine dust, together with a rich variety of . other substances, which have been wafted in the air. and have fallen into the water; toge- ther with the subtilest particles of the neigh. bouring soils Washed down into them b rains. That is supposed to be the richest mu , which is near to the borders, and which has been al- ternately flood ‘ and fermented; as it will ferment when it lies bare, in some degree.

In rivers, and in long ditches that have cur- rents, there is a greater proportion of soil in the mud. It has been brought down from soft, mellow lands, through which the rivers pass; and some ofit doubtless from beds of mule,- which are often found in the banks of rivers. and which readily dissolve in the water.

Some ponds are totally dried up in a hot and dry summer; andall ponds and rivers are so diminished by a copious evaporation, as to leave part, and the richest part, of their beds unco- vered. And these beds, where there has been no rapid current, are always found to contain rich mud. In some places it reaches to a considerable depth. This mud though ta- ken from fresh waters, has been found to be a valuable manure; more especially for dry. sandy and gravelly soils. 1 have known it to have as good effect as barn dung, in the cul- ture of Indian corn, upon such soils. The ad. vantage ofit is not found to be only for one season; it meliorates the land for several years. It restores to a high piece of ground what ve- getable mould the rains, in a long course of years, have been washing away from it._

It is happy for the farmer that Providence has prepared for him these magazmes of ma- nure in all parts of the country. None but the stupid will let them lie unnoticed, or un- removed. When a dry autumn happens, the prudent farmers will be very industrious in carting mud up from evaporated ponds, a other sunken places in their farms, audla ing it upon their light soils, especially upon igl‘. gravelly knolls; or into their barn yards, If the distance be not too great.

But with respect to using mud as a manure.

the maratime farmers have the advantage above all others. For the sea ooze, which ap- crseks and harbours,