The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-01-01

original texture, become looser, and
less suited to retain moisture, and 4
has been In part assumed, and probab-
" quite justly that this lack Of physi-
cal texture largely accounts for the
iessened yield of the particular crop
under consideration. Such physical
and chemical ideas gradually led to
the belief that a single crop rotation
properly conducted would essentially
bring back the old-time yields. How
ever, this proved not to be the case
and strenuous efforts were made to in
crease the fertility Of the soil, with
the result that 1t was found that great
Improvement can be made in the yield
ing quality Of the land by the addition
of proper fertilizers, especially barn
yard manures. 1t was finally ascer-
tanned by the psychologists hat the
cause for this Improvement through
the use of legume cropping rests IN
the fact that these plants, because Of
their relationship to certain living Or
ganisms which grow Upon their roots,
are able to produce nitrogen from the
air, a form Of nitrogen which is not
used by ordinary plants.
This idea of using the leguminous
crops to increase the fertility Of the
soil and using them in a systematic ro-
tation has essentially revolutionized
agriculture. 1t has been able to 10
this all the more because the Iegumes
have proven themselves to be not only
crops Of soil enriching capacity but
particularly suited for stock feeding.
They make it possible because Of their
great hay or forage value and because
OF their fine pasture value to keep a
large amount Of stock upon a farm;
and the stock, in turn, makes it posi-
BILE to return most Of the roughage or
waste from the various crops back to
the land in the form Of manures which
are most suitable to all kinds of crops
Present Idea of Crop Rotation.
We may thus say that the present
system Of crop rotation rests upon
four essential facts which are concIu-
sively proved by the of gen.
eral theories and results:
/. A single crop system is sure 20
fail in the long run because of in
ability of the land under this condition
to produce a sufficient crop to pay for
the work.
2 An ordinary interchange Of crops
upon the land has in all ages been
to result in bigger and better
yields for the various kinds Of crops.
3. The addition of fertilizers n es-
pecially Of barnyard manures gener-
ally results in increased crops. At
In an increased crop with regard
10 some OF the crops which are in the
rotation and the increase of crop has
usually been sufficient to convince
most people that the should
be used.
4. Leguminous plants should be and
are placed in all rotations because
plants enrich the soil by the adj
dltlon OF nitrogen taken from the free
nitrogen of the air.
These conclusions have essentially
available to the farming public
as definite information for at least
twenty years and most of the facts for
many hundreds of years. It would thus
seem strange that the history of crop
rotation has not taken a stronger hold
upon the general farming public. I
nave, IN part, outlined some of the
reasons, the chief one Of which is that
the farmer eventually hopes to make
his wealth by doing one kind Of work
instead of many. The whole history
OF crop rotation and the ex, arimeuts
conferred around it show hal this Is
d IA hope. There are, however, 9TH
er reasons why farmers have not fol-
lowed crop rotation work in a system
attic manner.
1t is evident that there have ALWAYS
been in wreat growing regions inter-
fertng conditions which have not been
understood, either by chemists, physic-
lists, a~griculturists, or farmers.
A New Light.
1 believe, however, that within he
last few years, from the work Of the
plant pathologists, we have been gain
ing some new information which will
largely explain many of these Difficult
ties. l believe that the time is now
close at hand when all of the informa-
ton with regard to crop rotation can
be brought together and made effective
by the average farmer, when intelli-
gent farmers can put the facts into
operation in a consistent, persistent
so that results will be obtained
with very great regularity. I believe
that plant diseases have been the chief
element OF interference in getting con-
slstent results under BEST efforts Of
and systematic crop rotation.
diseases Of the crops have not
been k into consideration. The
farmer has always had in mind the
chemists idea that in giving a crop ro-
tation he is resting the land; hat in
pasturing the land he has been not
nnIV RESTING ~ hpf hoe hna, iyanno eSA~
its fertility and has been developing
It's proper texture as required by the
soil physicists. He has, therefore,
Been very much disappointed when he
finds that there is no regularity OF
expectation with regard to what may
result. With the new light which I
have obtained through my studies up-
on the potato crop, the fax crop and
other cereal crops taken together with
the work of other botanists and plant
pathologists upon other CROP diseases
and the work Of the veterinarians and
physicians upon animal diseases, I am
convinced that the feature which has
been left u in our crop rotation sys-
tenn is a proper consideration of plant
diseases and Of soil and seed santa
ton.
In 1889 and 80 the writer finally,
after a number of years investigation,
discovered the cause of the whiting and
dying out of flax on the lands under
h~axcropping. 1t had been the COM
nor belief throughout the world for
ages that flax is very hard on the land:
that it took some type Of fertility out
OF the land that could not be returned.
The discovery Of the cause of fax-wiIt
and a blight and canker Immediate
.ly did away with this belief and ac-
counted for the loss in crop by an un-
sanitary condition of the ground due
to the introduction of certain kinds