Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-11-14
A System Of Rotation

country leads to the conclusion that
majority of farmers do not realize thC
{ necessity or the advantages OF wei
) planned system of rotation
They are governed too much by the
prospective money value of crops to
be grown. Leaving out of count to d
great extent the condition of the land,
as TO loss or added fertility, or the
destructive influences Of insects that
often follow too continuous cropping
the growths that nature produces Ia
hide the nakedness of soils constantly
teach us that rotation is necessary.
: The destruction of crops by insects
that feed upon them that have accI-
mulated by continuation of the same
crops teaches us that rotation is a
necessity. The dreceasing volume OF
crops grown in succession teaches us
also that the system is ruinous.
Taking the other side of the ques-
ton, we soon learn that by a system
of rotation carried olf in regular or
der. land can be kept up and made to
improve Three years to corn follow
ed by one or two years to small grain
crops and then three wears to grass
will not give as good returns as a
closer rotation, say one year TO corn,
one to small grain, and one to grass
or clover. By the former plan, now
too often practiced, the first crop of
corn under normal conditions is the
best. and the same is true of the other
crops, and the last crop is the poorest.
The decreased value of certain crop
forces the farmer to change to some
other.
Why would it not be better for the
farmer to follow the hint given in the
successful growth of the first crop
after change? And work in that
direction all the time. making mar
row rotation source of profit, rather
than to be forced into a long rotation
by the Improbable yield of crops?
1t is possible to improve a worn-out
meadow or pasture by coat of manure
and reseeding, but with the wise farmer
this course is only followed as make
shift or the necessity Of circumstances
and surroundings For il is an
accepted fact that a better sward can
be secured by plowing the land, thereby
destroying many weeds as well as
being able to get better seed-bed.
In the growth of clover the second
year after sewing, we expect the maxi
mum crop, and experience teaches
that we cannot keep succeeding crops
up to this standard by reseeding, but to
be able to grow maximum crop again
some other cultivated crop must occupy
the land for season. The growing
of single crop in succession exhausts
the properties of the soil necessary for
the production OF that crop.
BY a system Of three year rotation -
corn, wheat and clover--we are able
to keep in check many obnoxious
weeds that would otherwise Overrun
our farm. We are sometimes asked
if we do not get weeds that are hard
to control in the manure we haul from
town. If all is. applied to the fields
kept in regular rotation, we have no
trouble with weeds. But if the manure
is put on the permanent pasture we
expect some trouble. A friend has
great dread of morning-glories carried
on the farm in this way. We have no
trouble in keeping them under control
when three year rotation is followed
but if we grew corn in succession three
or four crops, we should expect soon
to be overrun with them and to have
them get entirely beyond our control.
In the management of garden
crops, we are careful to follow a rota-
ton. We do not grow potatoes on
the same plat two years in succession.
The strawberries are set in new soil
each time. The sugar corn is changed
each year to soil not occupied the
previous year in sugar corn. In
growing this crop on the same land
two or three years in succession, we
found the ear-worms grew more abund-
ant each year. almost running the
third crop.
In growing clover, il it were posi-
ble to grow three or four crops in
succession-if the soil would sustain
so many crops-we should expect to
be checkmated by the accumulation
of the many insects that feed on it.
The root and stem borers and the
miige we would expect 10 increase in
numbers each succeeding year and
make their increased numbers
ruinous force against the clover crop.
The other staple crops of the farm,
wheat and corn, have their insect
enemies that gain in numbers and
force when the crops are grown in
succession. All these matters should
come in for careful consideration by
the farmer when he maps out his
system of farming.
The continuous cropping system
entails more and harder work. Ii re.
quires that the land be plowed often
err; this is the heaviest draft on the
power of the farm. And further, the
crops require more continuous cult
vatio., to keep down the weeds.
Clover, when it comes so regularly,
- tho CLEANSING cron nf tho farn,