Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-11-13
ROTATION or CROPS.
e Aids Materially In Keeping the eupply
nj Plant Fond in the Soil.

ROTATION or. CROPS.
e Aids Materially In Keeping the eupply
1T Plant Fond in the Soil.
Different plants require different ele-
ments OF plant growth. Some varie-
ties OF plants will make a thrifty
growth where other varieties would |
starve, or at least the growth and yield
would not be profitable. If tho same |
crops are grown continuously on the
same land. even with liberal manurlng,
there is almost certain to be an excess
of some of the elements OF plant tood,
as each variety will use only the pro-
portion it needs, while the rest will be |
left; and with farm manure, ut. least. |
nearly or quite all the elements OF
nutrition will be supplied if a good
application of well-rotted manure is
given. =
Buckwheat and rye can be grown on
soils SO poor that very few other crops
will hold thrifty growth. Glover is
largely relied upon to restore the fer
tility of WORKOUT soil, but either OF
them can be grown in a soil too def
cient in the elements of plant food for
clover to make a good growth. One OF
the great advantages of clover, when
good growth can be secured is that it
not only supplies a considerable guam
THY of fertilizing material in itself. but
so acts on the soil as to make available
plant food that is already in the soil.
In planning a rotation one crop
should follow another that as far as
possible uses different elements OF
plant food. While there is quite
number of different elements of plant
growth, there are three-nitrogen,
phosphoric acid and potash-that are
the principal ones, and in supplying
these sufficient quantity of the others
is usually secured.
Some plants use a larger proportion
of nitrogen, others of phosphoric acid,
while potash is necessary element
with others. Very few of the leading
crops use either of these in tt same
proportion, and if the best result from
rotation is secured, it will be found
an item to arrange the crops so that
those that use different elements eau
follow. Where one crop is raised con-
tinuously manures or fertilizers are
used to keep up the fertility; if too
long continued there is almost certain
to be an excess of other elements
Hence after corn has been raised con-
tinuously until the land will not grow
good crops of this cereal, wheat Or oats
may be sown and a very profitable
crop may be grown.
Very few plants, even if fed out to
stock and the manure applied back to
the soil, will return the elements in
the same proportion as they took up.
It is possible by using commercial
manures to apply the elements that arr
deficient. and in doing this get gooi
results at low cost. Yet it can hard
ly be said that tbs safe to rely upor
commercial fertilizers, either to keep
up the fertility or to give good crops
Some varieties of plants thrive best il
new land. while better crops of Others
can be made after two or three crop:
of other plants have been grown. S.
that it issquite an item to understand
the character of the soil and thel
determine the treatment A rotation
if properly managed, will not prove s.
exhausting to the soil even if noma
nure Or fertilizer is applied. AM
where care is taken to feed out tn
products to the stock, to make, saw
and apply all the manure possible, t.
use green manure at every favorabl
opportunity. A good plan Of rotation
will aid materially in building up tn
supply of available plant food in tn
soil. With heavy manuring it is pos
sible to grow large crops OF the same
kind upon the same land. but the ez
pense of maturing is always, NOR
than whore rotation is followed from
the start With few special crop
this plan will be advisable, but gen
orally the better plan of management
is to. plan out a system OF rotation
using such crops as are best adapted t.
the characterof the soil and the local
ity, and then following it as closely a
circumstances will admit, lessening il
this way the drain upon the soil ant
rendering it more possible TO be KEEP
In a good state OF fertility.-St Loui
Republic = a. ,S>s<t~< 80 -