Iron County register., 1880-07-15
Rotation Of Crops.

The fact has long been known that it
is not best to grow the same kind of
crop on the same land for number of
years in succession. Thus, the yield of
corn, wheat, oats, tobacco or other crop,
if grown on the same land without
change will gradually diminish, while
if these crops be made to alternate, that
is, first one then another, the aggregate
product will be much greater. This
change is called rota ion of crops. The
advantages of rotation, or change of
crops, result from the following consid-
erations: In the first place, different
crops require clements in different pro-
portions; one requires more potash than
another, or lime, or phosphoric acid, OF
nitrogen, or some other constituent.
Potatoes require more potash than wheat
or corn, while these require more phos-
phoric acid; clover and tobacco need
great deal of lime, and so with other
crops. A number of crops of potatoes
in succession, without the addition of
potash in some form, will use up the
available supply, unless the quantity be
very large. Before this comes to pass
another crop thatrequires less of potash
but more of some other element might
grow well, while the potatoes would not
flourish.
In the second place, rotation of crops
gives time for the disintegrating action
of the atmosphere, rain and frost to
prepare new material from the rock
particles in the soil and get it in form
to be used by the plant. One crop
may use up the available food of a
particular kind faster than it can be
prepared by these natural agencies.
In the third place, rotation, or change
of crop, when properly managed, en-
ables one plant to prepare food for an
other. Thus clover sends a long tap
root deep down into the soil, and brings
up food to the surface. When the roots
decay, the wheat-plant that has surface
roots mainly can use the food prepared
by the clover. In the fourth place diff
ferent crops require different modes of
cultivation, SO that the physical proper
ties OF the soil are improved by rotation.
Grass lands in few years become hard
and require to be loosened up. which
can be done by the cultivation of a crop
of corn, followed by one of wheat and
the resolving of grass.
Not only is change of crops desir-
able but an occasional change of seed is
found to be of great benefit. Wheat
grown on stiff clay lands for some years
will be improved by getting seed from
that grown on sandy soil, and that on
sandy soil by obtaining seed from wheat
grown on stiff clay. An occasional
change of seed from one latitude to an
other is also found to be beneficial.
Crops that require the same elements
in about the same proportions should
not follow each other, nor those that
are similar in their mode of growth.
Wheat and corn which depend mainly
on surface-roots will do well after
clover, cotton or tobacco, which have
long tap-roots that extend down into
the subsoil. The greater the difference
in the constitution and character of two
crops, the more likely are they suited to
follow each other Climate and soil
have much to do in determining the
best rotation.
A good rotation for three years is:
First year, corn; second year, wheat;
third year, clover A good four years.
rotation is to allow the clover to remain
two years. In England where corn is
not raised. popular four years. rota-
tion is: First year, turnips or other root
crop; second year, barley; third year,
clover; fourth year, wheat. A six years.
rotation: Glover, wheat (two years,)
clover, corn, wheat. For the tobacco
planter, good rotation is: First and
second year, clover; third year, tobacco;
fourth year, wheat. This will keen the
land fertile, or even improve it. For
the cotton planter: First year, clover
or peas; second year, cotton; third year,
wheat.
In much of the cotton growing region
in the South, cotton is grown year after
year without change, to the great detri-
ment of the land, except, perhaps, in
river bottoms, where the soil is i'm
mensely rich and very deep. 1t is best
in the above rotations not to remove
the crop of clover, but let it lie on the
ground and be turned under at the
proper time.-Phsladelphia Times