In recommending the alternate culture of the pumpkin with the corn crop, we have been influenced by two considerations; firstly, from an account we have lately seen of a trial made of the culture of the large sort of pumpkin by itself, in which at the rate of 25 tons to the acre were raised; and, secondly we are of opinion that in cultivating the crop in the way we propose, nearly as great a product may be obtained as if the ground were planted entirely with this crop.—Growing in drills by itself it will not impede the growth of the corn, nor do we conceive that this crop will be injured by the extension of the pumpkin vines over the ground; whereas if the two crops were planted together in the same hills, or drills, as is commonly practised, the growth of the one must, in a great measure, serve to rob the other of its due share of nutriment. The large sort of pumpkin, to which we have reference, has been raised of the weight of upwards of 150 pounds, but it is probably less nutritious, because less sweet, than pumpkins of the common sorts. Another large sort, which we have seen exhibited in this county, of more than four feet in length, is probably entitled to a preference for culture, as it appears to be as sweet as pumpkins of the smaller kinds.
In selecting seed for the pumpkin crop, take such plants as bear the greatest weight of pumpkins, and from the largest of these let the seed be preserved.
We have next to speak of the rotations proper for clayey lands, or those which have more or less alumin in their composition. Lands of this description are various, as well in regard to their natural fertility, as to their being more or less inclined to a superabundance of moisture. Some are naturally too wet for cultivating even grain crops with success, and should therefore be kept for mowing and grazing lands. Some again may be merely too wet for crops of winter grain, and in such case spring crops should be substituted, while at the same time the lands should be more applied to the business of the dairy, and of the grazier. In the mean time, let the possessor of lands which are naturally too wet, proceed to laying at least a part of them dry, by hollow drains; and then by making his barn dung principally into heaps of compost, in which lime and sand shall be considerably used as additional ingredients, and applying such compost manure to the drilled crops before-mentioned, and in the manner before directed, he will find no difficulty whatever in pursuing the course of crops we have recommended, nor of raising them of luxuriant growth. Where clayey lands are naturally dry enough for winter crops, we advise to a similar course of crops, with the manure prepared and used in a similar manner. In all stiff soils, however, an important point in husbandry, is to keep the ground, while under a course of crops, in a mellow crumbly state; and for this purpose nothing is more conducive than frequent deep ploughings, and raising the ground into high narrow ridges, as well to lie in that state during winter, as for the culture of all the drilled crops in particular. The ridges are to be formed by four gathering furrows, and in cleaving the ridges down new ones are formed with the middle or highest part of each where the last furrows were of the former ridges. When, therefore, the manure is to be used for the drilled crop, it is to be laid in the furrows, between the ridges, and then covered over with two gathering furrows run on each side, and thus the beds or ridges for the crop prepared.
If, however, it should still be found that some clays, even with this management for the purpose of ameliorating them, should still be found unsuitable for Indian corn, and for the turnip and ruta baga crops, we can only advise that, for the former, the Windsor bean, and for the two latter the mangle wurzel and the cabbage crop, be made substitutes. The Windsor bean is considerably cultivated in the clay lands of Great Britain; and Mr. Deane, in his Farmer's Dictionary, says its growth on such lands in this country is luxuriant. Perhaps in place of this species of the bean, another, which is cultivated in the southern states, and is there called the cow pea, should be prefered.
It should be further observed, that gypsum, when applied as a top dressing to clay lands, particularly those which are too wet, has but very little effect; but when they are laid dry by hollow drains, and thrown into ridges as before-mentioned, the effect of this manure upon them is nearly the same as in other dry arable lands.—And as we conceive it essentially necessary that all clay lands which are to be cultivated for spring crops, as well as all other soils which are naturally too wet, should lie in ridges during the winter, we advise that, at the beginning of the rotation we have mentioned, such lands have a second ploughing in the fall, for the purpose of being laid in such ridges. When thus laid they are easily reduced to a mellow state in the spring; but if this be neglected, they will usually be found, more or less, in hard baked clods, a state very unfit for good cultivation.
In Great Britain it is found essentially requisite that clay lands should be effectually summer fallowed as often as every sixth year; as well for the purpose of extirpating growths of weeds, as for mellowing the soil, and rendering it more lively. A fallowing there is performed by many repeated ploughings and harrowings during the summer. But it should be remembered that the climate of that country is very different from this. Their wheat harvest is in autumn, their summers being wet and cool. Here we have time after the harvest is over to cleanse and enliven the soil by repeated ploughings and harrowings.
On hard gravelly lands, which are unfit for any crops of roots, except perhaps potatoes, no very extensive rotation can be had to advantage without plentiful manuring. Gypsum has a powerful effect on such lands, and with the aid of this manure alone even the poorest of gravels may be made to yield good crops of buckwheat and of red clover; and on a lay of this latter crop turned under, a tolerable good crop of rye may be had. St. Foin, and some other tap rooted grasses, flourish in such soils better than might be expected. Gravelly lands require very deep and frequent ploughings, in order to make them sufficiently retentive of moisture. They are usually much assisted by compost manures where clay, mud, upland marl, &c. form a considerable share of the ingredients. But as there are different degrees of fertility in gravelly lands, according to the nature of the gravel, and its greater or less predominance in the soil, we can lay down no definite course of crops that in all cases would be found most advisable. Say, however, that with effectual deep ploughings, and plenty of suitable manure for the drills, the first crop shall be Indian corn, intermixed with the potato and the pumpkin growths, as before-mentioned; next spring, oats, or barley, if the ground will answer for this crop. As soon as this crop comes off, turn the stubble under, and harrow in buckwheat for a green dressing, in the manner mentioned in treating of manures, and on this growth, turned under, sow rye, if the ground is too gravelly for wheat. Sow the clover seed the next spring, in the quantity before-mentioned, and then harrow the ground, which will serve the purpose of covering the seed, and also of assisting the growth of the crop of wheat, or rye, as the case may be. The advantage derived from harrowing these crops in the spring has been well ascertained by experiment. After the second year's growth of clover has been fed or mowed off, turn over the ground in the fall to commence the rotation anew.
When we speak of gravelly lands, we do not mean to include those which are, properly speaking gravelly loams; for soils of this description are generally well fitted for the rotation first mentioned. By gravelly lands we mean those where gravel is mostly predominant, as we call those lands sandy where silex forms the greatest proportion of the soil, and of these something is now to be said.
As a specimen of what may be called light sandy lands we will refer to much of those lying between Albany and Schenectady. These, like the gravelly lands just mentioned, are not, in their natural state, calculated for the production of many different crops in perfection, nor indeed for any without manure. With the aid of gypsum alone, however, good crops of peas, and of buckwheat, may be had on most of these lands, tolerable of red clover, and on the lay of clover turned under, middling crops of rye may be had. Probably, with this manure, valuable crops of pumpkins might be raised on them. Lands of this description have, however, very essential properties, which gravelly lands do not possess; they are much easier cultivated than the harder soils, and, in proportion to their natural fertility, no lands are better adapted for root crops of almost every sort, or for the grasses whose roots extend deep into the earth, among which are clover of different kinds, St. Foin, Lucerne, &c.—Such lands are least adapted for crops of wheat and Indian corn; but when sufficiently manured with clay, or upland marle, which is better, they will yield tolerable crops of the latter, and also of the former, when raised on a lay of red clover.
Where little else than the contents of the barn yard and gypsum can be had for manuring sandy lands of the above description, the common turnip and ruta baga culture would not, perhaps, be advisable, but the rotation should be something like the following: First year, potatoes and pumpkins in alternate drills, manured and treated as before described; second, peas, soaked in the solution before-mentioned, and rolled in gypsum before sowing, with a top dressing of that manure; third, buckwheat, treated in the same manner, and clover seed sown with the crop; third and fourth, clover, with a top dressing of gypsum each spring; fifth, rye, on the clover turned under, as before described, which completes the course.