The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1914-05-12
CROP ROTATION
SUCCESS SECRET
Diversity Makes Majority Of
Farms Pay Well.
IMPORTANCE POINTED OUT.

agricultural Expert warns NS0'
Specializing and Makes Known His
Reasons-Every Farmer Should Grow
Everything That Is Needed on His
Place and Not Buy Supplies.
New York.-How shall a man make
farming pay, how make it return be
sides interest on investment a reason"
able country salary Of $1,000, how
manage it so as to use ones time,
energy and capital to best advantage?
These were some of the considerations
In a lecture by John III. Barron. of the
state department of agriculture.
wide studies show that usually the
most profitable farms follow a dlversi-
fled type of agriculture he said. In
the state Of New York f~orty-nine
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 5
per cent and leave the farmer n salary
of $1,000 or more. These farms sell
from one TO six major items. amount
ing to $500 or more each and in addi-
ton several minor products. The figures
show that on the average there We're
three major and four minor sale pro-
ducts and besides usually some feed
for farm animals. Generally then di-
versified farming is likely to be more
profitable than specialized farming.
Specialized farming has some ad-
v~antages. Ii may allow the develop
| ment of considerable skill in the pro
| duction of one or two things. A small
amount of capital may be sufficient TO
| develop one enterprise quite efficiently,
| whereas Ii would not develop several.
In specialized farming large fields can
be laid out and buildings so planned
as to facilitate labor greatly.
diversified farming has many ad.
vantages which outweigh the advan.
tages Of specialized farming, for the
majority of farmers find il is better &c
have several important products as
sources of income rather than one prod
uct. Diyersification allows of a rota.
ton of crops which is all but absolute
ly necessary for the permanence of any
agricultural scheme: it usually fore
stalls total failure, for in no season il
1t likely that all crops will be poor; Il
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.
"In the establishment OF a plan fo
diversified farming the rotation o
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 it an,
farm scheme is ultimately doomed t
failure. Ii follows. then, that a goo'
rotation will meet at least three gen
eral requirements; First, it must main
tain and increase fertility; second,
will produce feeds which will nouris
animals as economically as possible
third, Il will furnish cash crops fo
sale.
"To feed animals as economically a
possible a good quality of roughag
must be produced. For this purpos
) some succulence is desirable and ais
the products OF leguminous plants, Xix
clover. alfalfa. peas and soy beans.
'In much of the dairy section of th
state "a good rotation is corn, oats, clC
4 yer, timothy. The corn, oats and Glove
I are fed on the farm and the timoth
[ sold. Where the farm is not heavil
stocked part of the area otherwise d'
[ voted to corn a he used for potatoe
/ and then oats and hay follow the poti
I toes or corn in the regular fashion
0 This combination is usually bette
4 than the one first given, because 1t pr,
vides for two cash crops instead of on,
but 1t cannot be developed too far, b'
v cause corn and potatoes are compel
tive crops as to time of planting, cult
waiting and to an extent in harvesting,
"In the planning Of crop schemes IL
, necessary TO keep a good work balance
or there may be a poor distribution {
Q work, too much at one time and ne
enough at another. Noncompetitive Ell
n terprises should be chosen and at th
same time enterprises which have som
a interdependence and relation to eac
n other. A good scheme Of farming wi
generally have several sources OF II
r come. In a word. 1T may be said
consist of a well chosen line of sp
cialties."