Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1914-05-01
CROP ROTATION
Si.ni,,E.?22S SECRET
Diversity I'a.;1s aisi9iiy Of
Farms Fay We'll
IMFORTh.avE POINTED CUT.

Agricultural Expert Warns against
Specializing and Makes Known His
Reasons-Every Farmer Should Grow
Everything That Is Needed on Ills
Place and Not Buy Supplies.
farming pay. how make it return be
sides intcrcs, on Investment a reason
able country salary of $1,000, how
manage = so aS to use ones time
energy ana capital to best advantage:
These were some of the consideration,
in Il lecture by John II Barron of the
state department of agriculture
wide studies show that usually the
most profitable farms follow II diverSi
tied type OF agriculture" he said In
the state of New York forty-ninr
farms have been studied on which
labor incomes Of $500 or more are
being made That is. on these farms
enough is made to pay all expenses
and interest on the investment at >
per cent ana leave the farmer a salary
from one to six major items amount
Ing to $500 or more each and in nddi
ton several minor produces The figures
show that on the average there were
three major and four minor sale pro
ducts and besides usually some feed
for farm animals Generally then III
verSllied farming is likely to be more
profitable than specialized farming
"Specialized farming has seine al
vantageS 1t may allow the develop
ment of considerable skill in the pro
duction of one or two things 4 small
amount of capital may be sufficient to
develop one enterprise quite efficiently
whereas it would not develop several
In specialized farming large fields can
be laid out and buildings so planned
rs to facilitate labor greatly.
DIVERSIFIED farming has many ad
vantages which outweigh the advan
tages of specialized aiming, for the
majority of farmers find it is better to
have several important products rs
sources of income rather than one prod
uct. Diversifcation allows of rota
ton of crops which is all but absolute
~ necessary for the pernanence OF any
agricultural scheme; ii usually fore.
stalls total failure. for in no season Is
it likely that all crops will be poor; it
distributes the income over the year
1t stands for economy and efficiency
and provides work for man. machinery
and horses a greater portion Of the
year than does most specialized farm
ing.
I'm the establishment Of plan for
diversified farming the rotation of
crops must first be given attention
Most farming will get its profits from
animal products and crops. The main
tenance of soil fertility is of para
mount importance. for without II any
farm scheme is ultimately doomed to
failure 1t follows. then. that good
rotation will meet ut least three gen
eral requirements: First. it must main
tain and increase fertility: second. 1t
will produce feeds which will nourish
animals as economically as possible:
third. 1t will furnish cash crops for
sale.
ITO feed animals as economically as
possible good quality of roughage
must be produced. For this purpose
some succuence is desirable and also
the products Of legrlninous plants. like
clover alfalfa. peas and soy beans.
"In much Of the dairy section of the
state good rotation is corn. oats. clio
yer. timothy. The corn. oats and clover
are fed on the farm and the timothy
sold Where the farm is not heavily
stocked part of the area otherwise de-
voted to corn can be used for potatoes
and then oats and hay follow the pota
toes or corn in the regular fashion.
This continuation is usually better
than the one first given. because 1t pro
vides for two cash crops instead of one.
but it cannot be developed too far. be-
cause corn and potatoes are cOmpeti-
tive crops as to time of planting. cult
waiting and to IN extent in harvesting
"In the planning of crop schemes 1t is
necessary to keep Il good work balance.
or there may be IA poor distribution Of
work, too much ut one time and not
enough at another. Noncompetitive en-
terprses should be chosen and at the
same time enterprises which have some
interdependence and relation to each
other. A good scheme of farming will
generally have several sources of in
come. In Il word. it may be said to
consist of well chosen line Of spe
ciaIties"