of produce, has its distinct object, to which all others must be considered as subservient; and as a general rule, it may be laid down that you cannot sow too early, if the weather be favourable.

CROPPING.

The kind of crops to be raised by the farmer, depends upon the nature of the soil, climate, and other circumstances; but to raise different kinds of crops in succession upon the same land, is essential in a right system of husbandry. The reasons for this are plain. Every plant has a natural tendency to exhaust the soil; but all plants do not exhaust the soil equally, or in the same manner. All plants do not restore to the soil the same quantity nor the same quality of nourishment, neither do they affect the growth of weeds alike; and hence it follows, that however well treated in other respects, no soil can long continue to nourish crops of the same kind, without becoming exhausted; for every crop impoverishes a soil, according as more or less of its own peculiar nutritious matter is abstracted and restored by the plant cultivated.

Perpendicularly rooting plants, ought to succeed such as spread their roots horizontally; the plants which equally promote the growth of weeds, ought not to follow each other. Plants which greatly exhaust the soil, as all kinds of grain, should only be sown when the land is in good heart; and whenever a soil becomes exhausted by successive crops of the same kind, plants of a different kind, and that are the least exhausting, should then be cultivated and it may be added, that a change of crop has a tendency to destroy noxious insects, those produced by one crop, often not being supported by another, of a different description.

Nature seems to require, and always provides for, a change in the crops of plants. When a forest is burnt down, trees of a different kind spring up spontaneously, in place of those which have been destroyed. When one kind of plant has exhaused the soil on which it grows, it pushes its roots to a distance in quest of its own peculiar food, and there sends up shoots, while a

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new race of plants grow up on the spot which it has vacated. The seeds of certain plants, such as the dandelion, thistle, &c., are so buoyant, that they are carried far away from the parent plant by the wind. The seed-vessels of other plants, such as the gorse, when ripe, burst and scatter the seeds to a distance from the old plant. In these, and in a thousand other instances, we find that one of nature's primary laws, is perpetual change an alteration from one condition to another, in endless succession. In the artificial cropping of the ground, the judicious farmer will conform to this great law of nature, and study what species of plants he can most advantageously produce, in succession; and hence the rotation of crops is a matter of the first importance in husbandry.

t. The necessity of a rotation, in cropping the land, is now universally recognised; and the questions which the farmer has to consider are,-first, what description of crop is any particular field capable of growing to the greatest advantage?-and secondly, what is the best succession of crops, considering the capabilities of the ground, and the means of improvement within reach ?!

Under the old system of farming, the land was generally cropped with grain until it became exhausted, and was then allowed to rest and recruit itself under natural pasture. Since the introduction of turnips, and other green crops, the alternation of grain with these vegetables, has prevented much of the baneful consequences of the old system, and the produce of the soil has been greatly increased: but although this change has thus been productive of the best effects, yet without the intervention of occasional pasturage, most soils will in time become languid, and get into a state from which the application of manure alone will not be sufficient to renovate them.

Upon large farms in Scotland, at a distance from towns, in which cattle and sheep form a material object of attention, about half of the arable land is kept under grass for pasture, hay, and soiling, and the other half is kept under tillage. These portions are constantly changing crops, slowly or faster, according to circumstances; and this alternation may be considered

as the fundamental principle, in the Scotch system of farming. Another rule to be invariably observed, is, that a fallow, or a fallow erop of turnips, mangel wurzel, potatoes, drilled pulse, or clover, should always intervene between two crops of grain, or white corn; and if this rule is attended to, and a due rotation in other respects observed, the land will very rarely get into a foul or exhausted state.

Clay soils are particularly adapted for the production of wheat and beans, and may be continued under these crops alternately, as long as the land can be kept free from weeds. This is the most profitable course of cropping that can be followed on these soils, provided a sufficiency of manure be given, and the drilled beans be thoroughly horse and hand-hoed. The above course may be continued for six or eight years, or even longer; but to ensure luxuriant crops, the soil ought to be manured every third year. The nature of the soil, or other circumstances, may, however, render a crop of clover or rye-grass advisable occasionally, to be succeeded by oats. If the soil should get foul with root weeds, which will rarely be the case under good management, a naked summer fallow must be resorted to, for the purpose of destroying them, and this would begin a new rotation.

A favourite rotation on the strong lands of Essex, is, -1. Summer fallow, manured; 2. Barley; 3. Clover; 4. Wheat; 5. Beans, manured; 6. Wheat; 7. Oats. It is a rule in Essex never to put in wheat after fallow. Although two successive crops of corn are justly objected to, yet upon land of this nature, wheat and oats are sometimes taken after each other, without doing material injury.

In the colder parts of Scotland, beans will not ripen in some seasons, and the clay soils are thin and sterile. In such districts the following rotation has been found to answer:-1. Summer fallow, with manure; 2. Barley, or oats; 3. Clover, cut in the first year, and pastured for two years; 4. Oats; and then a new rotation begins. By this method, the rotation is kept up for six years, a period long enough on those cold meagre soils.

On light lands, every rotation should be established

on a well-wrought and well-manured turnip fallow. The course of crops best suited for light soils is-1. Turnips in drills; 2. Wheat or barley; 3. Clover and rye-grass; 4. Oats; and then a new rotation. This rotation may be repeated indefinitely, provided the turnip crop be eaten on the ground, and that the manure derived from the clover and the hay is all returned to the land.

When manure is abundant, alternate white and green crops may be grown in the following rotation:-1. Potatoes or turnips; 2. Wheat; 3. Drilled beans or peas; 4. Wheat or barley; 5. Potatoes or turnips; 6. Wheat or barley; 7. Clover and Rye-grass; 8. Oats. The advantage of this course is, that it secures a good crop of clover, and it is practised near Edinburgh for this purpose. In the vicinity of London, Edinburgh, and Glasgow, the rotations are frequently-1. Potatoes; 2. Wheat; 3. Clover and rye-grass. By some, the clover is followed by oats, and the rotation again begins; others end the rotation with clover.

Sandy soils require liberal treatment, to ensure their producing good crops; for in dry weather they are apt to become so parched as to be unfit for the growth of almost any species of plant. The application of clay, marl, peat mould, and stable manure, will improve the texture of such soils, and change their constitution to a sandy loam. When well manured, sandy soils produce good crops of potatoes or turnips. Wheat, beans, or peas, do not succeed well in them; barley, oats, and rye are the grain crops which yield the most profitable return; and occasional pasturage is necessary. The following six years' rotation has been recommended for very light sandy soils:-1. Turnips, with manure; 2. Barley or oats; 3. 4. 5. Grass, pastured by sheep; 6. Oats.

On land situated in cold exposed districts, the grains usually cultivated are the early varieties of oats and barley, with turnips and potatoes. The following course of crops, proportioning the quantity sown to the manure supplied, may be followed in such situations :—1. Oats from old ley; 2. Turnips or potatoes; 3. Oats or barley, sown with perennial clover and grass seeds; 4. Hay; and then pasture.

In elevated and exposed situations, however, tillage is in general only advisable so far as it conduces to the production of turnips and hay for the stock, and furnishing manure for the land. The crops are not looked to as a source of profit, so much as affording straw and provender for the cattle. The dairy, and the rearing of live stock, form the chief considerations in these coldlying districts.

The modes of cropping above given, vary considerably, but all conform to one general principle, and embrace alternations of green and grain crops. It is necessary however, to mention, that the land in time is apt to become tired of one unvarying rotation, and seems to require changes in the crops, or a change of rotations. This is effected by either changing the green crops in the rotation, or alternating one rotation with another. The latter plan, which is called shifting the course, is adopted by many of the best agriculturists, and may be safely recommended for general observance.

ROTATION OF CROPS.

It may perhaps be thought, that what is stated under the preceding head, would be sufficient on this subject; but the change and due rotation of crops, is a matter of such vital importance to the farmer, that it cannot be too often pressed upon his notice; and the constant change of crop, is as applicable to a farm of five, as to one of fifty or five hundred acres, and is alike neces sary in all.

With the small farmer, the rotation should generally be, what is called a five years' shift. That is the first year, potatoes or turnips, manured; in the second, barley and grass seeds; the third, hay; fourth, pasture; and fifth, oats. Barley may sometimes be sown after oats, if the land is clean and well pulverised, and if a little manure can be spared: but as a general rule, oats should follow grass; potatoes or turnips should follow oats; and barley with clover and grass seeds should follow green crops and if you are careful to keep your land always in good heart, you will be repaid by abundant crops, as well as by a saving of labour.