The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1912-01-19


leave not only a generous supply of
fertility for any desired crop, but mil
lions of openings into which the airs
and rains of heaven find their way,
and help to constitute an unfatling
reservoir of wealth, upon which the
husbandman can draw with little fear
of protest or overdrafts."
Professor Buffum, some years ago
at the Wyoming Experiment Station,
made test showing the gain on al
falfa ground for small grain and po-
tatoes over the same type of soil
where alfalfa was not grown. His re-
suits obtained are here given.
Wheat, gain in bushel per acre,
12; gain in value of harvested crop
local prices), $1,000.
Oats, gain in bushe1 per acre, Al;
gain in acre value of harvested crop
(local prices), $1,000.
Potatoes, gain in bushel per acre,
20; gain in acre value of harvested
crop Qocal prices), $1,000.
Therefore, get the land into le-
gume of some kind, alfalfa, vetch or
field pea, as soon as Eou can that it
may be better prepared for success
full and profitable after crops.
In case the farmer is in doubt just
what crop to put in, he will make no
mistake to seed down to alfalfa while
he is planning out the crop rotation
that his environment would seem to
indicate best for him to adopt.
Rotation Destroys Weeds.
The elimination of weeds is eff
fectually accomplished by the intro
duction of cultivated crops like po-
tatoes, stock roots, sugar beets, field
beans and truck gardening crops. The
irrigation ditch is even a greater car
rier of weeds than the winds Where
an entire irrigation district adopts the
practice of crop rotation and cutting
ditch and canal bank weeds, they can
be, and are, extermiRated Most of
our worst weed pests are annual and
when all users of given ditch prac-
tice good crop rotation the weed
qeustion is solved
Get Station Bulletins.
Because weed and insect pests as
well as fungus diseases are fully dis
cussed In Station bulletins which can
be had by addressing the director of
your state experiment station, shall
pass up any discussion of them.
Rotation Fundamentals.
Let us now consider the fundamen-
tails which we should concern our
selves with, in adopting rotation for
our irrigated. lands, where we cannot
afford to grow many cheap forage or
grass crops, unless upon said farm
we can convert these cheaper crops
into more remunerative meat, dairy
or poultry products.
/. All plants tend to exhaust the
soil. They abstract some one or more
food elements to the full amount of
availability.
2. All plants do not exhaust the
soil in the same way and manner
equally. t.... ...s.
8. Plants grown constantly or con.
tinuously on the same field favor the
spread of insect pests and certain
plant diseases. #. s..- ..
4. Some plants, by methods of till.
age, are favorable to weed growth,
while others are not.
5. Plants differ in habits of root
growth. g..>
6. All legumes are soil bui! 7ers
and soil renovators. -.....-
7. Some form of stock raising,
combined with crop growing, will fur
nish manure for making humus and
building up the soil The old English
adage mo grass no cattle; no cattle
no manure; no manure, no grass" is
true everywhere.
Rotation on Irrigated Lands.
Every rotation on the irrigated
lands in this region should contain:
LIST, At least one money or cash
crop; Fiji.
End. At least one cultivated crop;
Bird, At least one legume crop;
4th. At least one live stock or feed
ing crop;
5th, These should be so grouped as
to most economically distribute farm
labor throughout the year.
9Th. So arrange the rotation that
the farm can turn cheap and bulky
feeds into milk, poultry or meat pro-
ducts
7th. Thus make factory methods on
the farm, turn ordinary waste pro-
ducts into profits.
The meat packer so utilizes the
calf. lamb and pig that now there is
lost but the blat and the
squeal. lid
The adoption of definite crop 70.
tation and the practice of factory
methods on the farm will stop the
leaks which now reduce the profits
and tremendously improve the quality
while it increases the quantity of the
output of every farm in this district.
know an irrigated farm in the
Rockies where the suggested method
named above is followed and the re.
turns for the period of their crop ro-
tation of six years, which | checked
up last year, averaged 800 gross per
acre crop per season. Do not be sat
isfied until you feel you have worked
put crop rotation adapted to your
soil, climate and market environment
md that rotation is averaging you
gross return of $50 per acre crop per
season.
Mother Goose Up to Date.