That rotation is admitted to be best, which enriches the land with abundant manure, preserves it best from weeds, pul verizes the soil most effectually when it is too tenaciou.s, and binds it most com pletely, where it is naturally too open. As a general rule, those who arc engaged in agnculture cannot, with a view to these purposes have the importance of provid ing focal for large quantities of cattle too repeatedly and emphatically recom mended to them. Indeed, by attending. to this circumstance, larger quantities of grain are produced than by any other mode, wink that produre of the land, which consists of milk, butter, cheese, butcher's meat, and other articles eon .nected Nvith cattle, is nearly so much clear gain. Gmss prepares a turf, which, when broken up, constitutes the most va luable of all known manures. Turnips, cabbages, beans, peas, and a variety of othersimilar foodfor cattle, supply admir able opportunities for cleaning and pul verizing the soil by repeated hoeings ; the close coNering which they bestow on the land smothers those weeds which the hoe does not destroy, and they leave the land, besides, in a state of increased and great fertility. Certain exceptions to the necessity of rearing cattle may undoubt edly occur, as, near towns and cities, the easy accessibility of dung will supersede very considerable preparation of it on the premises. Lands also may possibly be so rich as to require neither cattle nor sheep, and like some which are said to lie near the river Garonne, in Prance, might produce even hemp or wheat in perpetui ty. Certain crops, moreover, may hap pen to be in such particular demand, as to make it desirable to cultivate them by fallow, and not for cattle or sheep. These exceptions can never interfere with the general rule, as such, that that farm will be most productive and profitable, in re spect to grain, on which is kept the great. est quantity of sheep and cattle. TWO crops of' White corn ought never to be produced from a field in immediate suc. cession. In reference to several varieties of soil, it may be useful to give a suc cession of crops, which has been recom mended by a gentleman of considerable judgment and experience. It should bc observed, that on this plan the crops must be all particularly well hoed, and kept properly clean ; and that the turnips, peas, arid beans must be put in double rows, on three feefridges ; the cabbages in single rows of three feet ridges.
Clay. Myer/ looms.
Turnips or cabbages Turnips or cabbages Oats Oats Beans and clover Clover Wheat Wheat Turnips or cabbages Turnips or cabbages Oats Barley Beans and vetches Beans Wheat W heat Rich loams and sandy loams. Peat earth. Turnips SN po- Beans Turnips Turnips tatoes Barley Barley Barley Barley Pea.s Clover Clover Clover II•heat Wheat Wheat Wheat .rii/.110'n.Potatoes Potatoes Beans Barley Barley Barley Peas l'eas Peas Wheat 'Wheat Wheat ChalkY "6- Crawls. Ligl.t lands.
stratum.
Turnips Turnips Turnips Barley Barley Barley Clover Clover Clover and Wheat Wheat Clover:v-1d rye-grass Chcaky sub Grate*. Light lands.
stratum.
Potatoes Potatoes Clover and rye-grass Barley Barley Peas Pea.s Peas Wheat or rye Wheat Wheat Reaping and Storing.
In converting artificial grasses 'Molt:Cy, the method should be different from that used with natural ()nes. TI.ey should fbr a day or two lie in swath, after which, be ing carefully turned, they should remain for a day or two longer ; which easy and simple process the hay is, in g-ood weather, sufficiently made. After re maining two clays in cocks, these should be carted to the stack, With regard to the mowing of grass, in general, fbr hay, the workmen should be made to cut as low as possible, by which the crop is increased, and the re mainder thrives better than it would do otherwise. Many hands should be ready to assist, and. five makers are not too ma ny for every- mower. The grass should be shaken out immediately after the scythe. lty- the evening it should be ra ked into rows. The next morning it
should be again shaken and spread, and in the evening. it should be put up into cocks. These being opened on the fol lowing morning-, after a similar process, may in fine weather be safely collected into the great hay--eock at night. If suc cessive rams come on to damage it, as it is stacked, a peck of salt shouldbe strew ed in lay-els on every- load, which will sweeten it, and render it palatable for cattle, which would not taste it without this preparation. The stack should he covered within a week after it is finished; and a trench should be d.qc near it, to car ry offany wet, if it be placed in a situation subject to damp. The hard hay of a poor soil is litttle subject to firing, which often occurs with respect to that made of suc culent herbage. The latter, therefore, requires longer time for its making. To preserve as much of the sap of grass as possible, without incurring the danger of firing, is the grand practical problem of hav-making.
When the stems of eulmiferous plants are totally,- divested of green, they are per fectly ripe. Some farmers recommend that wheat should be cut before this ma ture stage, not only to prevent any of the grain fram shaking out, but as being found to make more excellent flour from being. cut before perfect ripeness, than after having attained it. The latter ob servation may very safely b e controverted. But as it is admitted that every moment it retnains standing, after complete matu rity, is critical, it may often be judicious to commence tlte reaping of it before the period of full ripeness. Wheat has been immemorially- reaped instead of being mowed, and this method ought always to be adopted, as froin its high growth it be comes untractable to the scythe. When barley ground is purposely smoothed by rolling, that crop may be cut down with the scythe, which not onlv, from the greater rapidity- of its operation, removes that gmin more effectually from the dan ger of being shaken by ttands, but brings with it a much greater proportion of the straw, for manure, than any other mode, a circumstance well deserving attention. Cutting of corn in wet weather ought ever to he avoided, if possible ; and, however obviot is this eau lion, it cannot be regarded as superfluous. as it is ttnfortunately very often n eglected. Barley is p artieularly sub ject to injury by wet, having no protecting husk ; and has a strong tendency, when eut in this state, to run to malting; it should not only be cut dry, but immedi ately, if pow3ible, be bound up, to prevent its being discoloured, which will other wise ea.stly occur. Peas grow so irregu larly- as to make the sickle necessary. For removing the produce from the field, long carts, moveable upon the axle, by which the Whole load is moved at once upon the grotmd, and lifted to the stack by per sons appointed for the purpose, are pre ferable to other modes. Dispatch is thus obtained, when partitularlv required, a circumstance always worthy of regard. Instead of housing corn, stacking it is a far superior practice, as it not only, by the consequent exposnre to the air, car ries what is called a finer countenance, but as it is more completely preserved from vermin,than by being deposited in a barn. Every- sheaf should be made to in cline downward from its top to its bot tom. Where they are laid horizontally, rain will be taken in both above and be low. The.best form for a stack is thitt of a cone, (the top of which should be formed with three sheaves united in a point) placed upon a cylinder. The mo ment a stack is finished, the covering of it should, if possible, commence; mate rials should therefore be previously col lected. If much rain should fall before this operation is performed, it will be dif ficult, and perhaps impossible, to render the stack dry while it stands; and, in or der to prevent putrefaction, it will be of ten requisite to pull it down, and, after fully exposing every sheaf to the air, to re-construct it.