The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-07-12
Rotation Of Crops.

Farming, as it has in too many in
instances been conducted impresses us
with the conviction that b,oks and agri-
cultural papers have not received general
invitation to aid the pillow in any way, but
that the production of crops has been more
a matter of chance and necessity than of
any systematic course Of cultivation
The owners of the land do not seem to
care how the crops are produced, if the
immed ate pecuniary results arc of salts
factory character.
1t IS now pretty generally known that
certain principles underlie tie science of
the cultivation OF the soil, and that unless
these are understood and made the basis
of our system of cropping, manuring and
cultivation, we shall fail in producing
annual crops of an average yield. The
general desire among farmers, however,
is to get as much grain from the soil,
with as little outlay, as possible, and yet
keep the land in good heart,' or, in 9TH
er words, in productive condition. 1t
is well known that the different crops
take from and exhaust the soil of certain
elements of food peculiar to themselves;
it is-for this reason mainly that the adop-
ton of systematic rotation of crops is so
important. If this is not done, general
failure will inevitably take place sooner
or later. 1t is this random, reckless lack
of system in our farming operations,
where the soils were originally not very
fertile, that is producing such disastrous
results; the first thing therefore to be taken
into consideration in order to effect the
desired change is, to adopt proper sys-
tenn of rotation Of crops.
In determining such course of rota-
ton. the nature of the sol. and of thecrops
to be produced from it, must be considered
in their relations 20 each other.
1t is now generally conceded that all
the cereal crops derive their food prin-
cipally from the soil, and that each spe-
cies of item requires certain kinds and
proportions of food peculiar to themselves.
A proper rotation of crops is usually
termined six shift course, and is arranged
in the following order: green crops, grain,
clover, grain, beans or potatoes, grain.
The rotation is arranged in this way SO
thai only one half of the cultivated land
will be in grain at the same time. Sup
pose, however, that wheat, oats and bar
ley follow each other in three successive
courses, is it not evident that the supply
of phosphoric acid, potash, soda and
other elements of which the supply in
soils of an ordinary fertility is exceeding
lv limited, will, if such a course of cult
walton be persisted in, soon render the
land unproductive? The course of rota-
ton mentioned is such that at least two
top-dressings Of barn-yard manure could
be given to the land, the first being given
to the green crops the first year, and the
second during the fifth year, to beans, po-
tatoes or some similar crop. The system
of rotation given may not be applicable to
all localities, but will serve as q guide in
determining one for any special locality.
Good, common sense and close observation
will enable the thinking farmer to devise
q course that will enable him to maintain
and increase the fertility of his land and
put money in his purse. -Rural World.