Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1901-03-14

ROTATION OF CROPS.
Keeps Insects and Weeds In ChecL
and Improves TiIth of Land.

Keeps Insects and Weeds In Check
and Improves TiIth of Land.
There are certain definite advantages
to be gained from practicing the rota-
ton OF crops.
al plants have not the same power
CT extracting plant food from soils, For
instance, it has been shown that GER
tain of the leguminous plants can ap-
propriate phosphoric acid from miner
al phosphates in Il much greater degree
than the cereals. In the English ex-
periments Of Lawer and Gilbert 1t was
found that certain root crops were
much more dependent than cereals are
ON artificial manuring with phosphates.
Again, some plants can draw food from
a greater depth than others by reason
of their having longer roots.
Where certain crops are grown con-
tinuously upon n given field, their i'll
sect enemies are more likely to accu-
mulate in dangerous numbers than
where a rotation of crops Is practiced.
Plants grown without interruption
upon the same land are more likely to
suffer injury from certain fungous and
bacterial diseases than where other
plants are periodically introduced which
do not serve as favorable host plants
for the propagation of injurious fungi
or bacteria which cause the trouble.
BY a rational rotation of crops the
land is kept in far better tilth than
would otherwise be the case. The i'm
portance of the presence of organic
matter in process of decomposition is
often far greater than is generally sup
posed. Thus the occasional turning un-
der Of a grass or clover sod or the
blowing in of green crop is generally
followed by marked physical benefit.
BY this procedure fresh food is intro
duced into the soil for the bacteria and
fungi, many of which are highly bene-
fetal aside from their direct aid in er-
fecting the decomposition of the vege-
table matter. Recent Investigations
arc claimed to indicate that the solu-
bility and hence the assimilability OF
bone meal may be materially increased
by certain bacteria, which in turn are
dependent for their existence upon the
presence of proper food supply.
Under a judicious system OF rotation
weeds are often eliminated from the
farm more readily than where certain
crops are grown continuously. Fur
thermore, by the subdivision OF farm
into several fields, each following n diff
ferent rotation, or even if following but
one rotation in such manner as to
give a variety of crops each year, the
labor of the farm is better distributed
than otherwise, and the danger OF Sc
we're losses owing to unfavorable eli
matte conditions In a given year Is dl-
minished.
A successful rotation tested at the
Rhode Island station Is a short one,
covering a period of but three years.
Potatoes are planted on clover sod.
After they are harvested the soil Is
thoroughly fitted for winter rye, which
Is then sown IN September so as to In
sure a good start before the advent OF
winter The following spring common
red clover seed is sown, preferably late
in March or very early in April. This
is done after the old snow and ice have
melted and If possible after light fall
of snow. This helps one to make sure
Of supplying the entire area with seed.
This manner of seeding to clover Is
usually far more successful here than
late summer or fall seeding. The rye is
cut for the grain and straw, though If
preferred or deemed more profitable in
special cases 1t might be cut green for
fodder or for bedding. The succeeding
year the clover is cut for hay and Is
followed the next season by potatoes,
which marks the beginning Of the sec
ond course Of the rotation. The same
rotation has been advocated by Mr.. L.
b. Terry, except that he uses winter
wheat in place of rye.