The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-08-17
THURSDAY, AUG. IL, 1911.
CROP ROTATION.

cd seems to be about the only solution
of the great problem OF maintainins
the fertility and sanitary condition
OF the soil.
There are various methods of rotat.
ing. Some are good-others are better
1t has been demonstrated beyond
contradiction that soils--cropped fol
years to certain grains-finally become
soil sick. Diseases of the plant infect
the soil to such a serious extent the
yields are reduced. Plant life takes
certain things from the soil Con-
tinued cropping along one line finally
destroys the fertility Of the soil.
Crop rotation cures both these evils
BY change of the plant life soil that
is fax or wheat sick will produce corn
or potatoes or grasses-or other crops
and no damage will result from the
diseased condition. A change Of crops
from one that has been taking too
much Of certain thing away from the
soil will give the soil a rest-and at
the same time some other kind of crop
can be grown.
For many years the North Dakota
Agricultural college faculty and the
farmers institute workers have urged
crop rotation. AT first the idea did not
meet with a ready response. Some
farmers regarded the professors and
lecturers as theorists. They referred
to them as "book farmers and in other
disparaging language. All that is a
thing Of the past. The intelligent
farmer of today who does not recognize
and appreciate the value of the work
done by the A. c. professors and the
farmers institute workers along crop
rotation-and other lines-is now the
rarest exception. The man who ignores
that great work is almost as much
without regard for the agricultural in
terests Of the state as Governor Burke.
There are some farmers who do not
appreciate the imperative necessity of
crop rotation. Some of them do not
realize the conditions that cry so loud
ly for change. They see their land
yielding less crops each year--but do
not understand why. They carefully
watch sick horse or cow, but fail to
keep their fingers on the pulse of their
sick soil. They don't realize the soil
their greatest and surest source of
wealth-gets out of sorts and its
tummy becomes riled up from pesti-
ferrous fungi. They ignore the COLES
and the pains OF their land and fail
to call in a. soil doctor to write out a
crop rotation-or some other good pre-
scription.
II there was case Of typhoid fever
at their home they would not only Sc
cure doctor and a nurse to care for
the patient--but they would also take
the necessary sanitary precautions to
remove the causes which produced the
fever.
Why done they use the curative and
preventive methods for their soil?
Nothing is to be gained by endeav-
oring to conceal the actual conditions
Of the sick soil-any more than there
would be to cover up the causes that
produce typhoid fever and leave it to
create an epidemic.
1t is necessary that owners of land
be educated up to the conditions. When
once they fully realize the situation
they will need little urging to apply
the remedy.
Intelligent men will understand that
land which may be unable to produce
a certain crop is valuable for others
and by crop rotation will soon eradi-
cate the disease which prevents sue
cessful fax or wheat crops and again
grow them in old time abundance.
The best methods of educating the
farmers of North Dakota to the ad-
vantages of crop rotation are the OBJ
ject lessons to be found at the central
experiment station of the A.tC. in Far
go-the different sub-stations and
demonstration farms over the state.
There are half dozen sub-stations
and twenty-five or thirty demonstra-
tons farms. The latter are compare
lively little expense. Some farmer is
induced to cooperate with the work
ers at the A. c. He is paid certain
amount to farm ten or twenty acres OF
land to certain crops in rotation. He
cultivates it under the general direc-
ticns Of the A. G. representative.
These demonstration farms have
been SO successful that they are great
object lessons. Wherever it is possible
farmers picnics are held at these farms
that the agriculturalists Of that vicinity
can note the advantages gained. In
stitutA lecturers are usually present to
call attention to the salient points.
n some instances within compare
lively few years the yields have been
increased more than 80 per cent.
Isn't that worth while? Doesn't 1t
show the advantage well az the
.yreat necessity Of crop rotation2
nnmtead BIT the comparatively few