Show Thomas Jefferson Was Americas America's First Scientific Farmer I Jeffersons Jefferson's Ideas with reference to agriculture were far in advance of his day declared James E. E Ward head of the division of social sciences sciences sciences at Clemson college in a talk on M Monticello An Experimental Farm at the meeting of he the com corn committee committee at Monticello He was among the first to tu practice crop rotation He was a scientific farmer and arid in arranging for his system of rotation he divided his cultivated lands into four farms of acres each and andt t each farm into seven fields of 40 acres The boundaries were marked by rows of p peach ach trees The seven fields indicated that hIs bis system of rotation of crops embraced seven years ears He reduced corn to one year in seven and tobacco seems to have been eliminated entirely He always al- al aIwas aIwa's always al aI- ways was stressed the maxim that where the soil is left bare the sun absorbs the nutritious juices of the ea earth eaith th Consequently in his rotation system he rod cd c d not nate any land lind to be fallow but rather cultivated certain plants especially especially es es- legumes because he accepted accepted ac ac- the idea that such plant would absorb fertility from the a at and store it In the soil Another observation can be verified by a study of this rotation system The TLe crops planted on the various fields provided a continuity of employment employment employment em- em for both oth the labor force forcee and the work stock and thereby avoided excessive peak demands |