Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1886-03-13
ROTATE THE CROPS.


the Fertility of Soil,
The rotation Of crops not only keeps
up the fertility OF the soil, but enables
the farmer to secure larger Yields and
greater returns at smaller cost. A
farm consisting of one hundred acres
may be so rotated as to permit the land
to reCuperHte itself without the neceS-
! sity of expenditure for fertilizers, ey-
cept for a certain class, Grass is the
great agent for renovating the soil,
and farmers make use of it for that
purpose, but one of the great evils in
growing grass is the attempt to secure
''permanent' pasture. Permanent
pasture has caused greater loss than
any other system, for the reason that
it has been the great hindrance to a
proper rotation of crops. But few farm
ers are willing to pillow up a service
able pasture, but they look only upon
the present side Of the picture without
a proper regard to the future. Take a
hundred-acre farm, or any size that
may be desired. Divide it into five
fields, and grow no grain crop of tie
same kind on any one of the lots bnt
once in five years, the farm being de-
voted to dairying if preferred. Allow
the first field TO corn, the second to
oats or wheat, the third to grass for
hay, the fourth to grass for pasturagc,
and he nth TO green manurial crops.
Tut all the manure of the farm upon
the field from which the hay is to be
cut.
The result will be that upon the lot
on which the hay crop is grown the
whole product OF the twenty acres may
he stored in the barn, while any num-
Der OF crops may be cut as long AS the
grass grows high enough. The next
season leave that field for pasture du-
ring the entire year, but in the fall
pillow it under and SOW to rye. In the
spring pasture the rye until later grass
Is ready, allow the rye to grow until
the seed heads begin to appear, and
then pillow it under and sow to millct
or buckwhcat. Plow this error under
also, and apply ten or twenty bushels
OF lime per acre, and let it remain I'M
I'll spring, when it will be rich enough
TO grow Il large crop of corn per acre.
Let oats or wheat follow the corn, seed
ing to clover for the hay crop. No
fertilizer will be required for any +
but the oats or wheat. and no eNpen-
slve nltrogenous compounds need be
purchased. An application of fifty
pounds of muriate of potash, and one
bag of pure ground bone per acre, to
the oats or wheat, will allow for all
that may be carried off the farm.
Now let us analyze the above. and
get at the root of the suggestion. In
the first place the manure goes to the
hay crop, which increases the Weld,
while the sod prevents loss by washing.
The pasturing of the hay field the Sec
ond year utilities the overgrowth, and
leaves a greater mass of roots in the
soil to decompose. The grass restores
nitrogen by appropriating il from the
ammonia and nitric acid of the atmos-
phere. BY blowing under the pasture,
the sod, roots and manure left over are
mingled with the soil to decomposc.
The rye affords early pasture, and be-
ing plowed under in late spring, adds
vegetable matter, forming humus, to
the soil, and destroys weeds. The next
crop of millet or buckwheat kills out
tn, weeds and also adds green matter.
The ne neutralizes the acids of the
soil, hastens decomposition and chem
ical action, as well as serving as plant
food, and mechanically loosening and
mellowing the soil. Thus several
fields will always be in good condition
for grain crops, weeds will be DESTROYED
with but little labor, while pasturage
will always be plentiful. Thrce-hftRs
of the land will always be in grass, but
not permanently, while the crops will
be larger and the land become more
fertile every year.-Farm, Field and
Stockmdn.