We will take an estate of three hundred acres, and on inspection, say in
the month of March, the crops occupying the land under the following
rotation will be as under:--
Three Years' Rotation. March.
100 Acres Cotton
50 acres Clover
50 acres Beans
80 acres Wheat
20 acres Barley
Two Years' Rotation. March.
150 Acres Cotton
30 acres Clover
40 acres Beans
60 acres Wheat
20 acres Barley
Within the last few years there has been a tendency to increase the
cotton crop and adopt the two years' rotation; but it is not a good
practice, as it tends to exhaustion of the soil, especially where there
is a want of farmyard manure. The cereal crops also suffer from the
consequent lateness of sowing.
Two crops off the same land per annum: Wheat, sown November 15th,
harvested May 30th; maize, sown July 15th and harvested November 15th.
Or clover, sown November 1st, first crop January 1st, 3 pounds; second
crop March 15th, 3 pounds. Sow cotton in end of March. Ground clear,
November. Probable gross return per acre, 24 pounds.
We might multiply instances where two separate crops can be grown on the
same land in twelve months, such as maize followed by potatoes, etc.;
but it may be safely stated that a very small area of a well-appointed
farm is allowed to lie fallow, the land being continually under some
crop or another.