The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-09-30
The Rotation Of Crops.

y
the greater returns at smaller cost. A
farm consisting of 100 acres may be so
rotated as to permit the land to re-
cuperate itself without the necessity
OF expenditure for fertilizers, except
for certain class. Grass is the great
agent for renovating the soil, and far
mers make use of 1t for that purpose,
but one of the great evils In growing
grass Is the attempt to secure 'perma-
nent" pasture. Permanent pasture has
caused greater loss than any other sys-
tenn, for the reason that 1t has been the
great hindrance to a proper rotation
OF crops. But few farmers are willing
to plow up a serviceaoble pasture, as
they look only upon the present side
of the picture without proper regard
to the future. Take 100-acre farm, or
any size that may be desired, and div
ide 1t into five fields, growing no grain
crop of the same kind on any one OF the
lots but twice in FIVE years, the farm
being devoted to dairying If preferred.
Allow the first field to corn, the second
to oats or wheat, the third to grass for
and the fifth to potatoes and root crops.
Put all the manure of the farm upon
the field on which the corn is to grow.
The result of a rotation will be that
upon the lot on which the hay crop is
grown the whole product of the 20
acres may be stored in the barn, while
any number of crops may be cut as
long as the grass grows high enough.
The next season leave that field for
pasture during the entire year, but in
the fall plow 1t under and SOW to rye.
In the spring pasture the rye until lat
er grass Is ready, allow the rye to grow
to suitable height and then plow 1t un-
der and SOW to millet or buckwheat.
Plow this crop under also and apply 10
or 20 bushels Of lime per acre. SOW In
rye and let 1t remain until spring, when
It will be rich enough to grow large
crop Of corn per acre. Let oats or
wheat follow the corn, seeding to clover
for the hay crop. No fertilizer will be
required for any crop but the oats or
wheat, and no expensive nitrogenous
compounds need be purchased. An
application of 30 pounds OF muriate OF
potash and one bag of pure ground
bone per acre to the oats or wheat will
allow for all that may be carried Off
the farm. The manure will go to the
hay or corn crop. which increases the
yields, while the sod prevents loss by
washing. The pasturing of the hay
field the second year utilities the after
growth and leaves a greater mass OF
roots in the soil to decompose. The
grass restores nitrogen by appropriat-
ing 1t from the nitric acid of the atmos-
phere through the agency OF the bac-
terra in the soil. By plowing under
the pasture, the sod, roots and manure
left over are mingled with the soil to
decompose. The rye affords early pas
ture, and being plowei under In late
spring adds vegetable matter, forming
humus to the soil, and destroys weeds.
The next crop Of millet or buckwheat
| kills out the weeds and also adds
green matter. The lime neutralizes
the acids OF the soil, hastens decom
position and chemical action, as well
| as serving as plant food and mechan-
| ically loosening and mellowing the
soil. Thus the several fields will al
ways be in good condition for grain
crops. weeds will be destroyed with
but little labor, while pasturage will
always be plentiful. Three-fifths Of
| the land will always be in grass, but
not permanently, while the crops will
| be larger and the land become more
fertile every year.
The present system of permanent
pastures will not permit of COM
plete rotation of crops. Instead of
pasture give the farm rotation, care
being taken that clover is grown for
| hay and the sod turned under. Or,
| what is better, plow under a complete
second-growth clover crop, which
though seemingly expensive, Is really
a cheap method of manuring During
rotation every part of the farm will
be under grass some portion of the
time, and the space formerly devoted
| to pasture may bear a crop, leaving
| other fields in grass. A complete ro-
| tation of crops is the safest, surest and
best method of enriching the farm, and
| the land will annually become richer
| and the productions increased. One
| plan of rotation is to plow up the
grass land and plant corn, giving it
clean cultivation in order to follow
with root crop. Corn may first bo
considered as a crop, and next roots
which require cultivation. Then the
wheat or oats may follow, the previous
cultivated crop preventing weeds and
undesirable intruders. Glover should
be sown on the wheat in spring, and
thus occupy the land two years. The
rotation is then corn. roots, wheat.
clover and clover-five periods. Fol.
low clover with corn, and every portion
of the farm will be in clover during
the Ave years. as well as avoiding the
taxing Of the soil with single crop
Observation-Disclosures Record.