Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-11-19
A sYsrEM o. ROTATION.
Farmers DO Not Eenlize TIA. Neces-
sfty or aMcti Planned system.

A close observation Uf fhs v;irs9Ua
systems oS farming ss.acticcd through
out the country leads 70 rhe conclusion
that a majority cf farmers 10 aot re-
alize the necessity or the advantages
of a well planned system of rotaccl.
They are governed 10 much by rhe
prospective mo.ey ya,ae Of crops 70 be
grown. Leaving olt CT count 70 4
great extent TIE condition ~ the iani.
as to loss Or aided fertility. or the de-
structiye Influences OF Insects that
often fellow 20 continuous cropping.
the growtlis that nature prodaces ID
hide tie rakelnesS OF soils constantly
teach rs that rotation Is necessary.
The destruct.c.! CT crops b. insects
that feed apsn them that have accu-
mulated 10y a continuation of the same
crops teaches is that rotation IL a ne
crssity. Iha decreasing vc.ume Of
crops gfcwn ii slccession teaches Us
also that the System is ruinous.
Taking tii. other side Of the MUGS
ton. we seen learn thar by n system OF
rotation carried on IN regular Gfder.
Land caa b. Kept n1 and made ID i.n-
prove. Three years 10 corn followed
By oac or 80 years II small grain
crops aud than flfpA years To grass
wiz not give rs sse;l ret1raS rs 4
closer rotation. say orc yEar - ccrn.
II 10 small grain iai 0ae - grass el
Glove. Dy the former plan. now t-o
often praettefd. the nr1t crop 81 corn
under normal eoaGiticaS is the best,
and the same = trlte OF the ether crops,
and the last crUD is tie p1orest.Ine
decreased r4i.le ~ q certain crop
forces Tie farmer - change - sem
other.
Why should 1t not he better for tie
farmer TO follow the hint givea in the
successful growth ~ the first crop
after Il CHANGE And work in that di-
recticn ell the tiIle. making IA narrow
rotation a source Of profit. rather than
to be forced into lcag rotation by III,
u~npro9tabie yieia OF crops?
1t Is possible 10 improve "A w0ll-cut
meadow or pasture by q coat az ma.
nure ant reseed NJ. but with the wise
farmer this course IL only followed rs
a makeshift Or the necessity OF clgcu-n-
stances and surroundings. For IL is an
accepted fact that Il better sward III
be secured by blowing the land. there
by destroying many weeds AZ well as
being able 10 get 4 batter seed-bed. In
the growth OF clover the second year
after sowing. we expect the maximum
crop, and experience teaches that We
cannot keep succeeding crops up 70
this standard by reseeding, but 70 b.
able to grow a maximum crop again
some other cultivated crop must oe-
cupy the land for Il season. The grow
ing of a single crop in succession ex-
hausts the properties CT the soil nec-
- 49,. Al. w-.I,.-%.N.. - 49,. a,.A,
BY a system of three-year rotation
corn. wheat and clover-we arc able 70
keep in check many obnoxious weeds
that would otherwise overrun
farm. We are sometimes asked il we
do not get weeds that are hard TO con
troll In the manure we haul fram town.
If all Is applied to the fields kept in
regular rotation. we have no trouble
with the weeds. But IL the manure
Is put OH the permanent pasture. we
expect trouble. A friend has a great
dread CT morning-glories carried o. the
farm In this way. We have no trouble
in keeping them under control when Il
three-year rotation Is followed; but ii
we grow cora In succession three o:
four crops we should expect o to be
overIun with them and TO have them
get entirely beyond eur control.
In the management OF garden crops
we are careful TO follow Il rotation.
We do not grow potatoes on the same
plat two years III 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 abundant each year,
almost ruiling the third crop.
In growing clover. il it were posi-
BILE to grow three or four crops in sue
cession-if the soil would sustain 50
many crops-we should expect to he
checkmated by the accumulation CT the
many insects that feed ON 1T. The root
and stem borers and the nudge we
would expect 10 increase in numbers
each succeeding year and make their
increased numbers a 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 care
ful consideration by rhe farmer when
lie maps out his system Of farming.
~ tiVNINhS Va
tails more and harder work. Ii re-
quires that the land be plowed ~oftener:
this is the heaviest draft ON the power
of the farm. And further. the crops
require more continuous cultivation to
keep down the weeds.
Glover, when 1t comes III so regular
iy. is the cleansing crop of the farm.
The roots of this crop will do more to-
wards aerating and icosening the soil
than Is possible to be done with the
best tools and the highest system OF
cultivation. Grass Of some kind Is al
ways considered u renovating crop.
hut If never in the rotation it is allow
ed to perfect itself. it is Of Indifferent
value, or OF allowed to occupy the land
till il fails, 1t is of Itself of no practi-
cal value i'm the rotation.-.Iohn NJ.
.Jamison In Country Gentleman.
some Adyiccs About Marshes.
Thousands OF the marshes and
qsioughs of the Northwestern states
that used to be so soft that they were
~,,rfr InnIc ~ ynu- dried ont 0nH