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,