Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-03-27
Rotation and Selection Of Crops.

THE kind of crops to be raised in any
particular locality must be determined in
a great measure by the climate and soil.
The demand for each with cost of pro-
duction must also be taken into account
by the farmer After it has been deter
mined what kind of crops are profitable
in a particular locality, then a plan or
system of succession is one Of the first
subjects to which farmer should direct
his attention Because certain field or
farm produces an abundant yield of any
particular kind Of grain or root crop it
does not follow that it will continue to
do so through long series of years; III
fact, experience has shown US that arota-
ton of crops is actually necessary to pre-
serve the fertility of even our richest
soils. If we raise wheat or any other
grain for number Of years in success
sion upon the same land, exhaustion fol-
lows more rapidly than if different spe-
cies are sown alternately. BUTT is better
to use in rotation crops as widely differ
ent in their characteristics as possible,
in order to allow the soil to regain those
elements which certain crops are known
to extract from it in greater or less guam
titles. Oats, wheat, rye, barley, and fax
are too near alike TO be used in rotation,
and it's better to introduce either pota-
toes, clover, peas, beans, or corn, and
then seed down with grass for a year or
two, in order to vary as much as
possible the order Of rotation. Red clover
is plant the roots of which penetrate
the soil deeply and bring up elements
from the subsoil which would never be
reached by our ordinary species Of mea-
dow grasses.
The texture of soils must also be stud
led or taken into consideration in adopt
ing any particular system Of rotation If
the soil is a heavy clay, then more fire.
quent blowing may be practiced than
upon those of an opposite character, mas
much as light soils can be injured by too
much tillage, and an occasional seeding
down for pasture is far more beneficial
than constant culture, even with heavy
application of manures. In selectin Q
different soils for different crops, farmer
should take into consideration their prob
able condition at the proper season for
planting. For instance, heavy clay soils
should as rule be selected for fall sown
grain, because unless thoroughly under
drained they retain the water SO late in
spring that blowing for an early crop is
impracticable. We know that farmers
are very likely to run the risk OF obtain
ing favorable seasons, when they happen
to have a piece of land that has given
them one or more heavy crops of a certain
kind OF grain In fact farmers are great
gamblers although they would not like to
own it, for they continually bet on the
seasons, and often stake their all on a GER
tain crop upon certain kinds of soil. If
the season is favorable they win, if the
opposite they lose, and in the latter case
the climate gets all the blame, just as an
other sort Of gambler curses luck or the
dealer al a faro table.
Now what the farmer should do is to
make careful selections of soil for the diff
ferent kinds Of crops to be raised, and
then prepare il in such 8 manner that
neither dry nor g wet season viii cause