Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1912-01-19
Diversified Crops
THE IMPORTANCE OF CROP ROTATION FOR
THE IRRIGATION FARMER


20 feet deep, making lnnumerapIe
perforations, while storing up nitro
gen, and when these roots decay they
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 unfaihns
reservoir of wealth, upon which the
husbandman can draw with little rear
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 pc.
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,
liz; gain in value of harvested crop
Qocal prices), $1,000.
Oats, gain in bushei 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 (local prlces), $500.
Therefore, get the land into a le-
gume of some kind, alfalfa, yetch or
field pea, as soon as sou can that 1t
may De DellSI pEopdiCu hoi S"SSSSS
full and profitable after >erops.
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 ef-
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, exterminated. 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, l 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 a 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.
g. Plants grown constantly or con-
tinuously on the same field favor the
spread of insect pests and certain
plant diseases.
A. Some plants, by methods of till
age, are favorable to weed growth,
while others are not.
s. Plants differ in habits of root
growth.
6. All legumes are soil builders
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.
i Rotation on Irrigated Lands.
Every rotation on the irrigated
lands in this region should contain:
i LIST, At least one money or cash
crop;
End, At least one cultivated crop;
3rd, At least one legume crop;
i 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.
i 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
: nothing lost but the blat and the
: squeal.
The adoption of a definite crop ro-
tdtlon anu LHe pracIlce 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
J named above is followed and the re-
} turns for the period of their crop ro-
, tatton of six years, which I checked
: up last year, averaged 500 gross per
!. acre crop per season. Do not be sat.
r isfied until you feel you have worked
t out a CROP rotation adapted to your
!, soil. climate and market environment
J and that rotation is averaging you a
!, gross return of $50 per acre crop per
r season.