Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1912-10-05
ROTATE CROPS ON DRY LAND.
This is Best if You Desire to Get the
Best Results.

DuNNNooiti hiy i"'' N'DPp'h5 ~
ouires frequent cultivation of the
land-the dust blanket-either as an
incident TO the cultivation OF corn,
potatoes or root crops or without a
crop. and the adding and conserya-
ton of humus in the soil.
The conservation of moisture in drv
land farming is an immediate neces-
sity The fertility will last for some
time. and the weeds and insect pests
are items OF future contingency, but
moisture conservation must begin
when the soil is turned. Moisture a
crop must have to to produce at all.
and it is prime necessity on new rs
well as old land Cultivated crops
will bring about this result in many
districts.
Potatoes and root crops must he
struck from the list OF rotation crops
must be made against the drifting Of
the soil Corn may not be a success
in all dry land districts. and there
may be some sections which cannot
spare the moisture necessary to pro
ducc cultivated crop. Where such
conditions exist, the dry land farmer
must adopt the summer tillage meth
DDS so successfully followed in the
Canadian northwest A process oi
frequent tillage during the growing
season. which will maintain a constant
blanket over the entire surface.
is. necessity in dry land culture.
There is special harrow with spade
like shovels which looscns the entire
surface to depth OF three or four
inches. which is especially adapted for
maintaining soil mulch. The ma
chine is made in sections like har-
row. and can be fitted out Tor two
or TOUR horse team as the owner may
desire
The system OF planning varied
cropping system for each individual
field is right in principle and & safe
rule in practice. Peculiarly enough
it improves the social conditions in
community. That mixed farmers re
main longer III a neighborhcod than
those who grow a single crop Is the
universal experience i'll this country.
Mixed farming gives longer tenure
OF service for the hired help, and thus
enables the farmer TO secure better
class of hired men and women. II
careless hobo help and brings i'll their
stead a class of men who think while
they work. and that alone will double
their efficiency in producing returns i'll
a term OF years.
Few farms are run to the best adj
vantage which do not have two or
more systems of cropping on them.
The small fields near the buildings
can be cropped to much better advan-
tage by having them planned to suit
the live stock needs than upon basis
of producing largely marketable
crops. On the other hand it is waste
ful To put them into system so per
manent as not To take advantage OF
the heavier supply OF manure and hui
mus which the live stock add to the
soil so regularly. The potato patch
should be changed about through
some minor rotation, for example, So
that scabby potatoes will not be the
rule and so that the potato crop can
have advantage OF the manure where
pasture crops have been fed off and
where leguminous crops have been
grown.
Grass and forage crops in rotation
are in my opinion. prime necessities.
A system should be devised which will
produce maximum crops when the
field is sown, as the fixed charges
against held are very little increased
for a heavy crop and the net returns
may be doublcd-Prof. J. II. She2-
perd. North Dakota Agricultural
College