The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-11-11
INSTINCT ON ROTATION
That The important Matter No
Matter What Size of Farm
is-StubbIe of Peas viii Not
i. Improve Land as Much as
J Turning Under the Whole
Growth

llI
Prof. w. F.. Massey, the farm ex-
pert. was recently asked what was
the cheapest and most rapid way to
improve a small farm, which is a
light. sandy loan, with a clay sub
soil. Continuing, his interrogation
asked: Il sowed six acres in cowpea
last spring, cut them for hay and SOW
ed the and in crimson clover last
September. Want to SOW eight or
ten acres in peas again next spring and
turn the crimson clover for corn. Used
zoo pounds Of Is per cent acid phos-
phate on the peas, and expec to lime
before planting corn. What do you
think Of this plan
The First Step.
Prof. Massey. writing in the Rich
nond Times-Dispatch said an reply:
The first thing to do in the i'm
provement Of a ftrm is 20 settle on a
proper rotation OF cops and then
stick TO 1t. fOi sly your farm is
small. but do not w what the acre
age Is. But no matter wha it's size
the rotation is the important matter.
The mere growing of peas and clover
and taking them off the land is not
going to improve the farm rapidly
ib0AC ~ lIIC
feeding goes beck where the crop
was grown. / thoroughly believe in
saving and feed ng all forage crops
rather thai to Sc them as manure
direct, with the single exception OF
the crimson clOt er, which I consider
OF more value as a IN .nure for corn
than for hay making.
a farmer wrote to one of our
Southern farm papers recently that
ne understood that the scientific men
said that the stubble of peas would
improve the land as much as turn
ing under the whole growth. But nc
scientific man has ever said ANYTHING
OF the sort. OF course, the turning
under Of a growth of peas will ado
more humus-making material thar
will that contained in the stubble. Blu
the difference is that a crop of pea.
may make two tons Of hay an acre
easily worth $40 a ton as feed. TIL
question then is, car I afford to us,
$40 worth Of fine forage as manure
when by carefully saving the drop
ingS of the animals / can recOye
fully 80 per cent Of it's value
n a certainly make a profit in tn
feeding. Hence ! have always ad
vised the saving and feeding Of tn
legume forage crops and the gettin
of the manur back on the land a
rapidly as possible. Some form c
stock feeding, no matter whether tn
farm is large or small, is essential I
the profitable Improvement Of til
soil. Therefore, we should grow a
the feed possible and feed it on tn
farm.
The Sort OF Rotation.
o what sort of rotation shou
be adopted IN a small farm will d,
pend on he crops intended to I
grown. If tobacco is to be one Of IL
crops it would make some differen,
In the rotation, of course. But if I'll
farm is to be devoted to the GUILTY.;
ton Of corn, wheat, oats and legum
the rotation will be somewhat diffe
ent, and the samll farm can be mo
cheaply n rapidly improved
leaving out the tobacco and havi1
but the one hoed crop of corn on t
farm. On such a farm I would ado
the three-year rotation l have me
toned before in these columns. Tn
is, corn with peas sown among it
last working: corn cut and shock
at maturity. and the land disked a
narrowed fine and sown to whe
II the peas grow rank in the corr
that the growth cannot be we'll disk
In, cut and cure them for hay a
disk down the stubble, and it v
make more wheat than if a hea
growth Of peas is turned down.. J
that the peas will not add more pl;
God to the soil, but because the hes
growth will make the soil too To-
n puffy for wheat. On the VIII
be liberal with acid phosphate, g
do not stop at 200 pounds, but
pearer 400 pounds an acre, and OIL
light sandy loan it may pay to
twenty pounds of muriate of pot
an acre. Follow this wheat "
cow peas for hay, and disk the
stubble fine and seed again either
winter oats in September or to WI
again later. fertilizing as before.
Then follow this wheat too. Y