Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-08-10
MAKE STUDY Of YOUR CROPS
They Are Good Tsachers-The Flslds
Ars Laboratories for tho eutdy
OF Methods in Farming.
BY DR.. A, N. HUME,
professor Of AOronomy, South Dakota
state Coileoo.

~ Ons ~ NJ tVSW ~
professor Of Asronomy, South Dakota
state College.
IL Is safe TO say that with the begin
ming OF the growing season everyone
Is interested IN the subject OF crops
IN general. Certainly it is Of great
advantage to pause at Toast moment
after the seed time to consider wheth-
or any mistakes have been made
which may be improved In the crop
ping operations for the coming year.
1t Is stated In q very old book that
one should Consider the lilies of the
held." and It may be almost as good
advice. providing no lilliss are sat
hand, to consider the crops Of the
field. 10 1t not very possible. for
instance, that too much OF some one
crop has been planted or sown, and
that our crop rotations have become
one-sided? It is almost universal ex
perience that whore a given crop uis
especially we'll adapted farm practice
falls into the habit OF putting in that
crop, largely to the exclusion Of 9TH
ers. For instance, the writer is ac-
quainted with a fielu Of corn In the
corn belt upon which the crop rota-
tion is corn. corn, corn, and soy beans.
corn, oats, wheat. and clover. 1t is a
fact that last year the yield of corn
from the first rotation was only about
one-third Of the yield Of corn in the
second rotation. In other words, the
second rotation yielded the same
amount Of corn of Of one-third OF the
area. The profits of the rotation
we're figured out carefully. The corn
on the flrst field paid barely enough
to cover expenses. The corn in the
second rotation was ten times as prof
table as In the hrst rotation This
latter is not general statement, 1t
is based upon actual computation.
That which is true in the corn belt is
ofttimes true In the wheat belt, or If
we want to go away from home we
find It true In the cotton belt An In.
spection OF fields on any farm will
give sure indication of what the ro.
tation practiced for the year actually is
Let US make careful examination and
see whether perhaps there Is not too
much OF one crop to the exclusion of
other crops in the rotation. II we
find that the rotation consists princi-
pally Of one crop, and one only. 1t ma.
be further observed that even this one
crop is not doing so we'll as 1t might
otherwise do. II the crop be corn, it
is' likely that II corn. has been raised
many successive years upon the
ground, there viii be a great develop
ment Of insects. such az for instance.
corn root lice. Probably also the
ground will have become rather Night
colored and low IA humus content. II
the ground be devoted to small grain,
- wheat or oats. and n Il has been
too constantly devoted to these grains.
It will likely be also low In humus
content. light IN color and rather com.
pact and hard Ia texture. Moreover.
Il is likely that weeds. such as Wild
mustard and others such - are pecuk
iAr to small grain crops. will be much
n evidence. Broad rotations help to
combat the evil competition OF weeds
with farm crops. Corn and oats make
b better rotation when alternated than
continuous corn. Corn. oats and clio
| ver ID again better rotation for q
grain farm than merely corn and oats
Corn. oats, wheat and clover Is prob
ably better than even . three:year
rotation. and this is partly for the rea-
son that - a general rule a given
crop makes better yield whom II fol-
5eet ~ : etoe & - swE k4ad hut