Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1877-04-19
AGRICULTURAL.
ROTATING CROPS.

says:
Glover is recuperative crop. If
It does not increase The elements OF
fertility in the soil, it, at least, makes
them more easily available. With
one fourth of the farm in clover year
ly, there is necessarily large amount
Of clover hay, and this, with corn,sto-
yer, will enable farmer to feed a
heavy stock of fattening cattle and
sheep in wineer. The profit Of these
is mainly in the manure heap and in
creased productiveness of the farm
There is also opportunity for raising
clover seed, and this often forms no
inconsiderabe item in farm protits.--
Farmers can we'll afford to feed their
clover hay on the farm If they can
get SIS to $50 per acre for the clover
seed as second crop on the same fields.
Where potatoes are largely grown
one or two acres of close y.drllled
corn will take the place Of the corn
fodder, and what corn itself IS need
ed can at present prices be bought as
cheaply as it can be gown.
"The advantages Of this rotation
are that it gives at least two and gen
orally three crops on the clover-sod
before the land is again re-seeded. -
With what manure can be made, ii
all is carefully saved and used, these
crops will be generally profitable
ones. Com The past year is worth
f25 70 $35 per acre without the sto-
yer, potatoes pay from $50 to a $lcO
or more per acre, oats and barley from
$lS to $50, and wheat about the
same. These figures do not leave
margin for profit, but it is doubtful
whether a better rotation for this sec
ton can be devised. Farmers are
generally proposing to pillow less and
for a time We snail propably have
land seeded with clover and timothy
two years, or possible three, instead oil
only one. This will leave one fifth or
ono-sixth of the land each year in
hoed crops, spring grains, or wheat,
instead of one fourth, as under the
old-fash!oned practicer. Possibly this
may prove successful but my eXper-
fence has been that the seasons, and
especially the third year after seeding
the grass,crop, either for moving or
pasture, is generally a precarlous
ole.
"a simpler, shorter, and equally
successful rotation has for many years
been practced by an Ontario County
farmer. His rotation is corn or pt.
tatoes, or both, on clover sod, followed
by barley seeded heavily with clover,
and the third year crop of clover
hay, followed by clover seed, and
pillow IN the spring. lie keeps no
stock in summer, excepting horses and
one or two COWS, which he SOILS fat
tens some sheep and cattle each win
ter; and both he and his farm are
steadily growing richer. Dispensing
entirely with the uncertain whcat
crop, barley, potatoes, and clover
have been his staples for marketing
He finds the clover fed in his barn
yard fully as valuable to the soil as if
plowed under green, and he gets the
clover seed extra. BY thoroughly
cultiyating his hoed crops, lie has al.
ways secured a good catch Of clover
with the succeeding barley crop,
which cannot be done where the land
has been poorly titled. This three
year rotation involves the necessity
for a great deal of labor. 1t keeps
two thirds Of the farm in hoed crops
and grain, but is all The better adapt
ed to small farms on that account. |
suppose that this farmer, also, with
OF lers, is tired Of hiring SO much
help. I shall be interested in learn
ing if he proposes to change his three =
wear to a four-year course, as other
farmers are changing from four to a
five or six-year rotation
- . -
PROFIT IN A Coon So1L.--The
"Praire Farmer says on this point:
"The idea that the number of acres in
crops indicates the farmers income
must be abandoned, and the number
of bushels per acre must be looked for
instead. There is certainl y less prof
it in ploushiAg fifty acres, to raise