The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1912-01-12
DIVERSIFIED CROPS
Or the Importance of Crop Rotation
For the Irrigation Farmer
By W. H. Olin, director of agricul-
ture extension, University of Ida

~
no.
Basis of Success-The basis O
farm success is organization, system
ON the farm; the basis of organiza
ton on the farm is crop manage
ment; on the successful Management
of the crop largely rest these fiv,
fundamentals.
/. Economy of business.
2. Maintenance of soil fertility.
8. Productivity of the soil.
4. Subsistence for live stock.
5. Farm profits at end of season.
The term rotation of crops" /.
used to designate a system of crops
which give a recurring succession OIL
field plants with differing pant food
requisites.
Reasons for Rotation-The prima.
ry purpose of a crop rotation are:
l.. Prevention of "Crop Sick" soils
the result of continuous cultivation oil
the same crop for {. period of years
2. The elimination of weeds, in.
sect pests and crop diseases.
3. 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 rs and ever So
per cent below what it first gave
the farmer. This was ON compare
lively virgin soil which we think is
rich as cream. Why is this? Feed
ing at the anne depth on the same
plant food elements absorb the read
lily available plant food of this partic-
ular element SO this class of plants is
then s%paringly fed. Like a starved
pig, it cannot make it's owner the
profits the well fed ones do.
All plants do not feed alike. They
either use different foods or the
same food from different depths.
Therefore, plants feeding at differ
ent depths of soil, although they may
use the same food elements, the deep
er feeding plants can follow the shall
low feeders without serious immed-
late loss, although eventually, unless
these absorbed food elements be re-
stored, 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 off
all the time, without putting back
the food elements upon which plants
feed, some of the time. If we do, we
a crop sick soil that does moi
"pay its checks" for want of funds
the available food elements that have
been taken through previous with
drawals.
Our Utah and Idaho soils are either
of granite of volcanic rock formation.
These soils seem to hold an abund-
ance of potash, a reasonable amount
Of phosphates, a limited amount of
~nitrates, abundance Of lime, but a
great deficiency in organic matter
known as humus. Here
are the essentials we need in these
soils; they constitute the soil barom-
eter since the ~lessened amount Of any
,ne of these will most seriously at
'ect general crop culture. .Humus
lot only increases the water holding
of the soil but it also car
les an appreciate amount Of nj
rates. Hence We need, early in our
cropping, to get humus in the soil.
Feed the soil constantly, that 1t may,
n turn, feed our crops. How may
We do this? BY growing crops that
end to store what little humus we
lave with nitrogen, while 1t increas-
IS the humus content Of the soil.
These are legume crops-alfalfa,
'eans, peas, red clover and vetches
the legume family group
which have proven profitable for
IS to grow in-the west. Choose the
that is best adapted to your
arm environment, and you feel will
row you the most dollars. Give 1t
permanent place in your field
rops.
These plants seem to have the Pc
uliar property of utilizing the free
.itrogen of the air and thus store
itrates in the soil, and accumulate
umus, the one thing our soils seem
lost to need. How is this done?
a most peculiar little
amily of lower organisms known as
acteria, which grow on the root hair