Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1902-07-31
CROP ROTATION
Some of the Things That the Stuts-
man County Farmers Learned
Recently
DurinQ Their Trip to the North Da-
kota Agricultural College at
Fargo.
Best Results in Grain Poisonous
HemIoCk NiiIlet for
Stock, Etc.

The Stutsman county farmers who
attended the afternoon session at the
college hall were much pleased with
the heart to heart talk with the fac
ulty and by the remarks OF President
Worst. There were diagrams showing
the results of experiments with rotat-
ing various kinds of crops. The mat
ter Of rotation is one that many farm
ers do not thoroughly understand and
is much discussed. The crops on the
farm show that the best results come
from planting wheat, oats or other
grain after clover OF timothy. Grain
after grass is the best for both quality
and yield Many farmers think that
rotation consists Of planting wheat
after oats or grain OF one kind after
another kind of grain. This, it is
shown, is not the rotation that gives
the best results and does little or no
good. Either the fields must be put
in with some crop that requires a cul-
tiyation Of the land or must be
manured or grain must follow grass to
get the best results.
Some Of the records OF experiments
on the college farm were shown.
Wheat was soWn after flax and the
first crop showed an increase OF 5.2
bushels to the acre. The second crop
of wheat showed an increase of 3.S bu.
to the acre, and the third crop showed
the same as wheat after wheat. The
good effects of rotating grain after flax
runs out in three years. 1t is recon-
mended to SOW flax after summer fall
low and wheat after flax.
BENEFITS OF ROTATION.
In regard to rotating after timothy
and clover or timothy alone a compari
son with wheat after wheat, was
shown. After grass, the first years
yield at the experiment station showed
that there were 5 more bu. Of wheat,
than wheat after wheat. The second
year there were 81 more bu., the third
year Al more bu., the 4th year more
bu. The average was about bu.
more wheat after timothy or clover
than after wheat. 1t was recommends
ed to SOW wheat east and west. The
winds and the heat do not injure the
young plant as much as when the rows
are drilled north and south.
1t was recommended that half the
land OF the farmer be put in the money
crop and the other half in the rotation
crop. For an old field start with a
cultivated crop, follow with flax or
wheat, then meadow orIpasture, break
and then wheat for two years, then
cultivated crops. This is one course.
Grass brings back the humus to the
soil and from grass good virgin con-
dititiOn can be obtained.
The disease of fax wilt was dis
cussed at length and Mr.. Manns of
this county related the results OF the
college experiments and plot Of flax
on the grounds showing the effects of
the disease was called to mind. Flax
wilt is due to a fungus allied to mOlds
on bread and is found in the soil and
flax is the only plant yet known that
this particular kind of fungus lives
on. 1t is a parasite and efforts to in
feet other.s plants with the flax wilt
have not been successful. The remedy
is not certainly discovered, but rota-
tion Of crops is the best known method
to rid the land of the trouble. F.om
1874 samples of flax sent to the station
from different parts Of the state, ITO
showed the disease. The plant from
the western parts Of the state is not
as badly affected. A treatment of the
seed by sprinkling a preparation of
formaldehyde as described in college
bulletin No. 81, was strongly recon-
mended. Try bushels at time and
take one pound Of formaldehyde to 40
gallons of water and thoroughly mix
the seed in the preparation. Flax
wilt is known to exist in the same soil
for 6 years. 1t will pay to get seeu
from new breaking and treat as above.
The disease was first discovered on the
college farm and the study of the same
and the information obtained has be-
come known all over the country as
one OF the results of the college work.
Where these diseases come from is
matter of conjecture. These parasites