Pueblo chieftain., 1921-03-28
Time To APPLY
ROTATION PLAN
TO THE CROPS

Right now is the time of the year
when plan and program for the main
work of tho planting season is be-
ing thought out by the farmer.
After the foundation for a house
has been built it is difficult to make
any considerable changes So with
farm work. The. foundation for the
seasons labor is laid out before
spring opens. and a dozen different
elements enter into the Influences ON
which the decision is made, Tho
farmers imagination pictures thosr
several fields not rs they arc now
but as they will look next september,
when each will present its chosen load
of stalks, struws, plants or fibcrs.
In this makeup of program rota-
tion of crops Is the most essential
idea, d universal rule in this country
from which tho most opinionatcd and
sclfwilled farmer can not get away.
There are various reasons which GO
to make rotation desirable.
Here in the west, tho great corn
belt Of the universe. every farmer
knows that when piece of ground
gets out OF order for any reason. and
can be put right only by diliCent cul-
tivauon, tho thing TO do is to plant
corn. Working tho corn allows tho
production Of y fun crop of grain
while at the Samc time clearing the
field of all weeds both for this yea,
and the next, besides looscning. mix
ing and lcvcltnC tho soil.
But for tho difficulty OF pIuwinE
up alfalfa it could bo put to great
use as a fertilizer and improvcr OF
soil. No other crop imparts such
benefit whom turned under. unless Il.
bc clover, which is a first cousin. 4
field where alfalfa has been brought
to good growth. and then plowed. ii
ready to produce It's utmost, in al
most anything, Even potatoes can
be grown hcrc near Pueblo in such
a field: or, at least II they will not
grow there they will not grow at all.
onions arc ono OF tho fCw crops
that can bc grown year after year on
the sam" ground, vet even onions
Will very particular about the tex
turc Of tho ground, insist also on its
being fairly rich in humus. More
over. onions absolutely require
great deal OF finger thumb work
to keep out those soft but thiCk-sci
grasses which in late summer COM
plctcly cover every inch OF the ground
II allowed to do 50. Under this mas
tho onion bulbs become so complete
| " hidden that they can not bo found.
When tho patch gets into such condi-
| ton there Is only one rcrdict-to
plant it in corn the next year so as
to get /. cleaned OF wccd seeds
Next TO a liberal application OF
manure. which in tho west is an cx-
cecdinEly infrclucnt event. a field
can bcs, he improved by plowins
under a foC'-hiGh growth or clover or
alfalfa Next To- this a lot OF pea
vines which arc stll green. Next to
that. a tarEl" ot weeds. said plow-
ing must be done exactly at the right
timc. before tho weeds go to seed. and
thoy mus, l." completely covered.
This being done. the ground will add
Ht least 20 per cont next year besides
being handled with pleasure instead
Of with pain.
To bring upuut such desirable r"-
suits. actually adding s. an acre to
the value Of The land. clever schcn-
ing In rotation rs necessary in order
10 make the ground earn "a crop and
vet get a. Off and out uf the way in
time FOR early fall plowinE
This i, only one "f the many items
10 bc put down ON m" chain uf
cumulative events leading all tho
way tu September, In The program OF
rotation ut crops,