The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-01-19
TALKS OF
FUNGUS DISEASES

1u6 ldSl paper OIL the OIlClal pro-
gramme was Relation Between Rota-
ton and Fungas Diseases of Plants,
by Prof. III. l.. Bolley. of the A. c.
Professor Bolley said: Crop rota-
ton is not a new idea. The ideas CEN
tered around crop rotation are as old
as the literature of agriculture. Crop
rotation is conducted on a systematic,
consistent basis only in a few of the
smaller more densely populated re-
gions, and, it may be quite strictly
said, only in regions of the highest
farm intelligence. Though the farm
ers there are not necessarily more in
telligent in a general way than the
average American. In fact, know very
little about anything else. They fol-
low crop rotation in these countries
not so much because they know why,
but because they know they have to,
and because they know it pays.
In America there has never been
any consistent systematic following
out Of crop rotation methods in any
region, and we steadily see the need
thereof. The results are d~eplorable in
the eastern states, and, in our own
great wheat growing and cereal grow
ing regions we are now reaping the
harvest which from persistent
general single cropping methods.
While it has been recommended by
educated ag~riculturalists and farmers
everywhere that crop rotation pays,
and that certain kinds of crop rota-
ton are better than others, 1t is a
strange fact nevertheless that there
has not been a general opinion as to
what to do or why to do it.
Generally the farmers have been
told that if they do not carry out a
systematic crop rotation there will be
a loss Of fertility in the soil. Gener-
ally they recognize this as essentially
true, at least, the land no longer pro-
duees as it should under present con
ditions.
There are certain natural American
conditions which have accounted for
our general methods of haphazard
cropping.
Commercial conditions have much
to do with this. Supply and demand
for particular crops have also much
to do with it., Farm machinery and
the manufacturing propaganda with
regard to farm machinery has also,
and finally the desire of every Ameri-
can to get rich out. of one method of
work has had a large bearing, but there
have been other conditions of much
greater Importance than these which
have tended to cause the average
farmer to lose faith in the teachings
with regard to crop rotation. Many
people have given advice about how
to crop when they did not know the
trouble which they were trying to
combat. They have even talked about
lost fertility when there was plenty
present. They have at times advo-
Gated change of seed grain when it
would have been better had there
been no exchange of seed. In other
words, n of the causes Of loss of
belief in systematic, consistent crop
rotation is due to too miscellaneous
advice.
The farmer has not always studied
his own conditions as well as he
should. He has not always handled
his crops as he knows crops should be
handled, but has rather tried to handle
them as extensively as he could re-
CARELESS Of quality. The time will
IL GOLIl6 WA1GI 4OdllIya WALL IlSdA. flQIk
money to him than quantity, because
the quantity will follow. Plant dis
eases and poor seed grain have hae
more to do with spelling the result;
which should naturally follow properly
arranged crop rotation systems thar
any other feature. Next weed seed;
and plant diseases are distributed II
the other lands which the farmer hal
been c%ultiyating and working hard tx
7 purify and form another element o
destructive influence. One canno
judge Of the value of a crop rotation
IL he sows the poorest, most diseased
! seed that is available on the land afte,
the hard work, has been done. On,
cannot Judge of a crop rotation or 1T
Z benefits to the land If in blowing h
plows in sufficient weed seeds ant
i plant diseases cultures to destro,
more crop than the increased amour
! of fertilizer can overcome.
( The speaker hopes to make 1t pIail
) that while crop rotation lis an essen
! tial feature in agriculture 1t cannot b
properly understood until proper see,
y breeding. proper seed selection ant
n seed treatment is practiced, and unit
i a ommon sense method of handlinI
4 barnyard manure is followed. Whe,
i crop rotation Is systematically follow
] ed by the farmers it will not be neces
sary that each farmer should have tn
& same crop rotation. In fact, in a.
4 probability, each farmer will have hi
Il own sort Of crop rotation which wi
o be based upon sensible arrangement
q OF the crops with reference to infiu
y ence on the soil as affected by til
q amount Of moisture, and especially a
i affected BY the amount and kind
q diseases which they tend to introdur
ie into the ground.
The speaker believes that the thee
il Ties of crop rotation should rest moI
(. particularly upon the relation Of Il
Il crops and. the soils to crop disease
il than upon the question Of fertility. an
every Bit of farm fertilizer should 1
used that can be obtained, but ii shcul
II be used ~inteliigsntiy with reference
the particular disease which may hal
pen to be IN the land or In the b
lyl straw, and rubbish that goes into II
d manure pile. The author believes
d properly composing every sort |
farm manure to destroy weed seed
i'd and plant discusses HE contends thu
III d not been nr0ven that props
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