According to this rotation, wheat and drilled beans are the crops to be cultivated, though clover and rye grass may be taken for one year, in place of beans, should such a variety be viewed as more eligible. The rotation begins with summer fallow, because it is only on strong deep lands that it can be profitably practised ; and it may go on for any length of time, or so long as the land can be kept clean, though it ought to stop the moment that the land gets into a contrary condition. A considera ble quantity of manure is required to go on successfully ; perhaps dung should be given to each bean crop ; and if this crop is drilled, and attentively horse-hoed, the rotation may turn out to be one of the most profitable that can be exercised.
Upon loams and clays, where it may not be advisable to carry the first rotation into execution, a different one can be practised ; according to which labour will be more divided, and the usual grains more generally culti vated ; as, for instance, 1. Fallow, with dung.
2. Wheat.
3. Beans, drilled and horse-hoed, 4. Barley.
5. Clover and Rye-grass.
6. Oats or Wheat.
7. Beans, drilled and horse-hoed.
8. Wheat.
This rotation is excellently calculated to ensure an abundant return through the whole of it, provided dung is administered upon the clover stubble. With out this supply, the rotation would be crippled, and inferior crops of course produced in the concluding years.
On thin clays, gentle husbandry is indispensably nc cessary, otherwise the soil may be exhausted, and the produce unequal to the expense of cultivation. Soils of this description v, ill not improve much while under grass ; but, unless an additional stock of manure can be procured, there is a necessity of refreshing them in that way, even though the produce should, in the meantime. be comparatively of small value. The following rotation is not an improper one.
1. Fallow, with clung.
2. Wheat.
3. Grass, pastured, but not too early eaten 4. Grass.
5. Grass.
6. Oats.
This rotation may be shortened or lengthened, ac cording to circumstances, but should never extend fur then in point of ploughing, than when dung ran be given to the fallow break. This is the key-stone of the whole ; and if it is neglected, the rotation is rendered use less.
Peat-earth soils are not friendly to wheat, unless aided by a quantity of calcareous matter. Taking them in a general point of view, it is not advisable to cultivate wheat ; but a crop of oats may almost be depended upon. provided the previous management has been judiciously executed. If the subsoil of peat-earth lands be reten tive of moisture, the process ought to commence with a bare summer fallow ; but if such are incumbent on free and open bottoms, a crop of turnips may be substituted for fallow, according to which method, the surface will get a body which naturally it did not possess. Grass, on
such soils, must always occupy a great space of every rotation, because physical circumstances render regular cropping utterly impracticable.
1. Fallow, or Turnips, with dung.
2. Oats, of an early variety.
3. Clover, and a considerable quantity of peren nial Rye-grass.
4. Pasture for several years, till circumstances permit the land to be broken up, when oats are to be repeated.
This rotation is calculated for clays and loams of an inferior description to those already treated of.
1. Fallow, with dung.
2. Wheat.
3. Clover and Rye-grass.
4. Oats.
5. Beans, drilled and horse-hoed 6. Wheat.
Aecordit.g to this rotation, the rules of good husband ry are studiously practised, while the sequence is obvi ously calculated to keep the land in good order, and in such a condition as to ensure crops of the greatest va lue. If manure is bestowed, either upon the clover stubble, or before the beans are sown, the rotation is one of the best that can be devised for the soils men tioned.
Light soils are easily managed, though to procure :=1 full return of the profit which they are capable of yield ing, requires generally as much attention as is neces sary in the management of those of a stronger descrip tion. Upon light soils, a bare summer fallow is seldom called for, as a cleanliness may be preserved by grow Mg turnips, and other leguminous articles. Grass also is of eminent advantage upon such soils, often yielding a greater profit than what is afforded by culmiferous crops.
1. Turnips.
2. Spring Wheat, or Barley.
3. Clover and Rye-grass.
4. Oats, or Wheat.
This is a fashionable rotation ; but it may be doubted whether a continuance of it for any considerable period is advisable, because both turnips and clover arc found to 11111 off, when repeated so often as once in our years. Perhaps the rotation would be greatly improved, were it extended to eight years, whilst the ground, by such an extension, would be kept fresh, and constantly in good condition. As lor instance, were seeds l'or pas ture sown in the second year, the ground kept three years under grass, broke up lot oats in the sixth year, drilled with beans and pease in the seventh, and sown with wheat in the eighth, the rotation would he com plete ; because it included every branch of husbandry, and admitted a variety in management generally agree ;Mk to the soil, and always favourable to the ihterest of cultivators. The rotation may also consist of six crops, were the land kept only one year in grass, though few situations admit of so much cropping, unless additional manure is within reach.