p.15

409

The greatest drawback on this kind of husbandry in this climate is
the length of the winters, and the consequent necessity of providing a
large amount of fodder in the growing season to be fed out during the
long winter months.

It will be seen that little attempt has been made to describe the best
modes of culture for grasses and grains; the object being to call attention
to the different kinds, and to give such figures and descriptions as will
enable any one to detect the various species, and thus become familiar
with their respective merits and demerits. Much caution must be used
in applying the rules laid down in books for the culture and management
of crops. These rules are usually constructed to suit particular districts
where the soil and climate may be very different from any we have in
Wisconsin; and consequently much of the great mass of matter round in
the books becomes useless, until tested here, and the results made known
through our local publications. The operator must use his own judgment
in deciding between that which is valuable, and that which is not
worthy of his attention. But this very important portion of the subject
must be left for some other person whose greater experience may enable
him to do it ample justice.

It is known that the cultivation of a constant succession of the same
or similar crops, soon destroys the value of the soil, and renders it, in
a great degree, unfit for future use. Some of the older States are now
suffering the evils resulting from this injudicious practice. To prevent
the bad consequences of such a system, it is necessary to restore constantly
to the soil the amount of food of plants annually abstracted.
This is usually done by the direct application of such food, in the form
of manure, lime, plaster, bone-dust, &c.; but it is found that a certain
succession of different kinds of crops will, in a great measure, prevent
this exhaustion of the soil. In such a system each cultivated field is
allowed to lie a certain portion of the time in grass, either for the purposes
of meadow or pasture.

The culture of the grasses, therefore, becomes one of the most important
means of keeping up the natural fertility of the earth, and thus
enable sher [enables her] to bring forth her promised fruits and harvests.

The importance of introducing new grasses, and of efforts to improve
those already cultivated, cannot be over-estimated. It is not at all certain