Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1913-02-20
PLANNING A ROTATION
Make Provision for Permanent
Fertility Of Soil.
Ameoa Principles to d Kept In Mind
Az Cultivated Crops, lsoumss,
oeass and Provision for Feed
Tor Live stock.

(By PROF. n. c. DONE0HUE. Profess
eor Of Farm Crops. North Dakota Az
riculturai CoalessD
The planning OF . complete rota-
ton for any farm consists OF the
placing Of tho crops which give the
greatest net income for the region In
question In such sequence in the
cropping system that the largest net
income for the farm will be obtained.
In order that the system may be per
manent, It 10 necessary that some pro-
vision be made to maintain the fer
tility Of the soil for future produc-
tiveness In planning q rotation the
following principles should be kept
In mind. First. cultivated crops. like
corn and potatoes, clean. the land. OF
weeds, conserve soil water. and i'm
prove physical condition Of the soil.
Second, the legume crops, like clover
and alfalfa, keep down weeds, build
up the organic matter In the soil and
add nitrogen to It, Third. grass crops.
like timothy and bronze grass. keep
down weeds and build up the organic
matter In the soil. but add no i'm
portant element Of plant food. Fourth.
wheat and barley are relatively weak
feeding crops and should be placed
In the most favorable place In the
rotation. They allow the accumula-
ton Of certain weeds and allow the
coil to get into poor physical condi-
ton. Fifth. oats are ranker feeders
than either barley or wheat. and do
not demand as favorable place in
the rotation. They allow the accumu.
lation OF weeds and the development
OF poor physical conditions In the
soil. Sixth. fax ia weak feeder and
demands a good place in the rota.
ton. Az rule 1t does best on sod
and when given this place In the ro-
tation does not seem to injure the
land for small grain production. When
seeded on old land on which rota-
ton has not been followed, 1t fails to
improve the land for wheat produc.
ton. 1t should not be seeded twice
in succession on the same land, and
when It ia grown period Of seven
or eight years should intervene be-
fore It is seeded again. Seventh.
clover does best when seeded with q
nurse crop in the more humid por-
lions Of the state. Barley or wheat
make very good nurse crops. Eighth
clover does best when seeded with .
out nurse crop on land that crew q
cultivated crop the previous year
Ninth. potatoes do best when planted
ON clover or alfalfa sod. Tenth
manure gives the best results when
applied to pasture land that is in,
Guided In the rotation. The next best
place 10 to pillow 1t under for corn. In
either case conditions are more favor.
able for decay than they would be II
the manure were plowed under for
small grains. Eleventh, the rotation
should be SO planned that the SEEDING
and harvest Of the various CROPS will
come In such order that as few crons
as possible will demand attention AZ
the same time. Twelfth, the rotation
should be SO arranged that the 10.
come from the farm will be uniform,
each year Thirteenth. the rotation
should be 80 arranged that there VIII
be economy In fencing and in the cu,.
tivAtion OF the various fields. Four.
4eenth. the rotation should be such
that there will be sufficient feed for
the various classes Of livestock kept
on the farm. Fifteenth. every rota.
ton should contain a cultivated crop,
legume or grass crop. and not more
than three or four small grain crops.
In livestock farming less than this
number should be grown.