The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1912-03-08
Diversified Crops
THE IMPORTANCE OF CROP ROTATION FOR
THE IRRIGATION FARMER

Basis of Success.

tZdllOu, system on the IdTns lue
basis OF organization on the farm is
crop management; on the successful
management OF the crop largely rest
these five fundamentals:
/. Economy of Business.
2. Maintenance OF Soil Fertility.
3. Productivity of the Soil
4. Subsistence for Livestock
5. Farm Profits at end of Season.
The term Rotation of Crops Is
used to designate system OF crops
which give recurring succession OF
feld plants with differing plant food
requisites.
Reasons for Rotation.
The primary purposes Of a crop ro-
tation are LIST, Prevention of Crop
Sick soils, the result, of continuous
cultivation of the same crop for pc
Rod of years; End, The elimination OF
weeds, insect pests and crop diseases:
3rd, Increase in the productivity of
the field crops by conserving the soil
fertility.
First Irrigated Crop.
The first crop to be grown In any
appreciable degree under the ditch
was wheat. Wheat followed wheat
year after year on the river plain
farms of Utah and Idaho until in
some instances the yield OF grain fell
25 and even SO per cent below what
it first gave the farmer. This was
on comparatively virgin soil which
we think is rich as cream. Why Is
this? Feeding at the same depth on
the same plant food elements absorb
the readily available plant food of
this particular element SO this class
Of plants is then sparingly fed. Like
starved pig, it cannot make its
owner the profits the we'll fed ones
do
All plants do not feed alike. They
either use different foods or the same
food from different depths. There
fore, plants feeding at different
depths of soil, although they may use
| the same food elements, the deeper
feeding plants can follow the shallow
! feeders without serious immediate
loss although eventually, unless these
absorbed food elements be restored,
the available plant food will become
exhausted and the soil will therefore
be impoverished.
The depositor who continues to
draw his money from the bank with
out making deposits will at last find
his checks returned marked short"
No bank will permit continued over
drafts. We should not be taking of
all the time, without putting back the
food elements upon which plants
feed, some of the time. If we do, we
have a crop sick soil that does not
pay its checks for want of funds
| ;1o1N NJ ole hot
been taken through previous with
drawals.
Our Utah and Idaho soils are either
Of granite or volcanic rock formation
These soils seem to hold an abund
ance Of potash, reasonable amount
of phosphates, a limited amount Of
nitrates, abundance of lime, but 8
great deficiency In organic matter
commonly known as humus. Here
are the essentials we need in these
soils; they constitute the soil baron
eter since the lessened amount of any
one of these will most seriously at
feet the general crop culture. Humul
not only increases the water holdinf
capacity of the soil but it also carries
anHppreciable amount of nitrates
dehae we need, early in our cropping
to get humus In the soil. Feed th'
soil constantly, that 1t may, in turn
feed our crops. How may we do this
BY growing crops that tend to stor'
what little humus we have with nitro
gen, while it increases the humu
content of the soil. These are legum,
crops-alfalfa, beans, peas, alsike, re,
clover and vetches constitute the lie
gume family group-which hav
proven profitable for us to grow il
the west. Choose the one that is bes
adapted to your farm environment
and you feel will grow you the mos
dollars. Give it a permanent plac
in your field crops.
These plants seem to have the De
culiar property Of utilizing the fire
nitrogen of the air and thus store n
trates in the soil, and accumulate hi
mus, the one thing our soils seer
most to need. How is this done
Through most peculiar little famil
Of lower organisms known as bat
terra, which grow on the root hair
and tiny rootlets of the root syster
Of these legume plants. This creates
as 1t were, a fever in that~particula
part of the plant, calling for more al
and more water. In a chemical pr
cess not easily understood the FIRE
nitrogen obtained from the surroun,
ing air Is worked into hitrates avail
able to succeeding plant life.
Perennial legumes are always dee
feeders, bringing part of their mil
eral food from soil depths below til
feeding ground of ordinary crops.
This value to succeeding crops
: shown in the opening paragraph
! Coburns Alfalfa: "There are SON
silent subscribers that do thei
work with ease and in their wa
more effe0fually than any team
plow ever hitched. The clover plal
J is righteously famed as one OF thes
= but alfalfa is its superior It's roo
j work Sunday as well as Saturda
8 night and day. they strike 5, 10, Is