The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-01-10
ROTATION FOR FLAX.
Extinction of the Crop May Be Pre-
vented.

Extinction of the Crop May Be Pre-
vented.
Prof. Thomas Shaw of the state
agricultural school, an authority on
matters Of farming, asserts that the
danger of the gradual extinction of the
northwest fax. crop may be overcome.
Systematic farming and rotation of
crops, he believed, will maintain the
present golden revenues from the
grain, and keep the soil in which flax
is grown in productive condition.
The danger threatening fax pro-
ducers, Prof. Shaw maintains, is
equally grave to the producers of every
other kind of grain. He admits the
argument that flax possesses qualities
that operate against second crops on
the same soil, but states that the en-
tire agricultural area of the northwest
is being gradually exhausted. The
soil, he says, must be renewed or
grain raising abandnoed.
''Our fax crops may be managed SO
that the yield will never grow less, "
Prof. Shaw says: AS an instance,
cite Ireland, where the, crop has been
Importation a century. 49, The present
danger is in injudicious farming, =, and
the attempt to grow fax crops in sue
cesison. The same danger applies to
Wheat also. The only solution is
rotation of crops. rs
81 seriously question whether a
man in the northwest can tell how
many years should elapse between fax
crops. My own Judgment is that the
interval should vary with the fertility
and condition of the soil. ... ...
"Fram all the. knowledge am able
to obtain. I think second fax crops
may be secured from ordinary prairie
Land in Gve years. The period might
be shortened or Heightened as soil con-
ditions demand. This estimate is
based upoR personal observation and
results obtained elsewhere. have never
been able to test it myself.
Rotation of crops with fax should
include grass for one or two years.
When the sod is buried favorable
condition results from decaying
humas and the cleansing of the soil.
Flax should be the first crop after hay
or pasture. There ig no doubt upon this
point.
"My own theory is that the new
grass, bromus inermis, will make an
excellent crop to precede flax. 1t fills
the surface around with roots There
is strong probability that it will
become valuable adjunct.
81 do not know of any section of the
United States which can grow more
crops of fax than the north west, when
the crops are planted at proper inter
walls. But with this favorable condi-
tion, the methods of cultivation at pre-
sent are in many instances deplorable.
Too little attention is paid to proper
pulverization of surface soil and
cleansing land of weeds.
''Flax at present is often grown in
rotation with wheat. This is bad prac-
tice, since both are very hard on the
soil. This is probably one explanation
of the danger of extinction of the fax
crop and Of why fax has failed in
some states.
81 should suggest that, after fax
crop, oats or barley should be planted.
The third year wheat with grass seed
mixed should be sown, the fourth or
fifth years the land should be given
over to hay or pasture. To make a six
year rotation 1 would suggest flax,
then oats or barley, corn, wheat with
grass seed, and hay or pasture for two
years.
"Alfalfa is the coming grass crop,
and will probably prove valuable in
connection with fax. I hope to prove
that it can be grown over large areas
of the northwest where clover does not
prosper. I cannot say that it will
prove successful everywhere, but that
it can be cultivated in many localities
is unquestioned. 1t is very valuable
forage crop, for it fills the grouud
with roots, which extend deep into the
soil, giving it endurance: ....
TIL Oh