The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1910-01-18

. |
the results of Investigations go to shov
that vegetable matter is one OF tn,
most important factors in crop produc
J tion. 1t is comon experience tina
when vegetable matter is lacking o.
a soil gets thin that the crop yield,
become exceedingly low. We must
therefore, arrange our crops so as Il
provide good conditions for the sue
ceeding crops, keeping in view the sup.
ply of humus or decaying vegeEabl.
matter as well as good drainage, good
cultivation and such other factors al
may be necessary to successful cror
growth. To better understand the re.
lation of rotation of crops to soil fer.
tility IL becomes necessary to define
the term. Rotation of crops means the
classification of crops as to their habit
of growth and effect on the soil and
a systematic and regular change ir
the order Of growing. The crops may
be classified for our purpose into three
general groups: Grain crops, grass
crops and cultivated crops. Grain crops
| include wheat, oats, barley, rye, fax
| and such other OF our annual crops as
are commonly grown for grain and
that have comparatively shallow feed
| ing root systems. The crops in nearly
all cases are removed from the land
| leaving only the decaying roots and a
| little stubble which return a. sligh,
| amount of humus to the soil but which
| factor may be regarded as neutral, SO
| far as the production of humus is con-
| cerned. The grass crops include tim
| othy, Kentucky blue grass. clovers, al
| falfa and such other grasses as are
commonly grown for hay and pasture
| crops. These crops have little more
extensive root system and in decaying
add more humus to thes oil than the
first named class. They are. therefore,
called humus producing crops. This is
especially true where the clovers and
alfalfas are grown to any extent. The
cultivated crops include corn, potatoes,
rotts and such other crops as are
adapted to cultivation between the
rows. These should be regarded as
humus destroying crops. If we observe
these three general divisions and ar
range thee rops on the farm so that
there is a regular and systematic al
formation of these crops upon the var
ious fields the mechanical condition of
the soil will be preserved and improved
and the yields of all crops will be ma
terially increased. While rotation of
crops calls for systematic division of
the farm into fields of regular and
somewhat uniform size, and for fenc-
ing, as WELL the expense Of operating
a farm under rotation and the labor
required are less than one would sup
pose. There should be field for each
year in the rotation. If a four year
rotation is followed, four fields will be
necessary. If a five year rotation is
followed, five fields will be necessary:
II seven year rotation, seven fields |
are required. Besides providing for
the proper maintenance of soil humus
and fertility rotation of crops and a
good arrangement of the fields mater
tally lessons the amount Of travel to |
and from the buildings in operating |
the farm and leads TO better business |
than is followed on the !
ordinary farm where no attempt is |
made to rotate the crops.
The Effect of Rotation on the Soil.
large number of plots on the uni
versity farm at St. Anthony park have
been kept in rotation plots since 1895.
soil on the plots that have been in con-
tinuous corn, root crops Of other culCi-
waited crops is seriously lacking in hui +
mus, An examination of the soil shows
that there are present very few plant
rotts or particles of decaying vegetable.
matter. This is the result of fifteen
years of continuous cultivation and
which breaks the soil into
1ne particles and which allows the en-
trance Of air and which very rapidly
1ecomposes the vegetable matter. AS
4 result the soil is dense and the crops
10 poorly on 1t. In the plots where
he crops are kept in five year rotation
of ID grain, CD timothy and clover
nay, CD pasture or hay, az grain, (5)
corn manured, the soil is full OF plant
'otts and leaves, the soil is rich and
.riable and crops make excellent
growth. A study of the yields OF the
'rops on these various plots is interest 4
ng and reveals the value Of rotation.
comparison OF the three classes OF
'rops when grown continuously and in +
citation shows that neither the grain, 4
srassy or cultivated crops do as well |
when grown continuously as when !
crown in rotation. The average yield
II the wheat continuously from 1900 to
SO9 is 1876 bushels. The average yield
It wheat in a three year rotation of
Sreen clover and corn without manure
4 any kind for the same term of years
8 2O.6 bushels per acre. The average
'ield in five year rotation of wheat.
meadow, pasture, oats stubbIe manured
n the fall and corn gives an average
ield OF 26.6 bushels per acre, a dif-
erence in favor of the five year rota-
ion of eight bushels per acre, showing
onclusively that the rotation of crops
3 better for the production of wheat
han where wheat is grown continu-
usly.
Some Minnesota Experiments.
The yield OF hay on the plots that
ave been in hay continuously since 1900
lib tons per acre. In the three year
citation where clover is grown 1t is 30
ons per acre, difference of over q
ons per acre in favor of the long ro-
atfon. On the corn continuous plots
ne average yield since 1900 is 26.4
ushels per acre. In the three year ro-
alton of clover and corn it is 45.2a
ushels per acre and in the five year
otation of grain, meadow, pasture,
ats manured and corn, COS bushels
er acre, a striking difference again
! favor of the corn in rotation. Where
ne evidence is so clear r1lat each OF the
rops does better on rotation than /
there grown continuously it would
eem that no further argument is
eeded for the rotation of crops. Since,
owever, rotation affects decidedly the
arm profits it may not be unwise to