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An Old Succession Of Crops

Categories: CROP-ROTATIONS

In the corn belt of the northern states

some time-honored crop-rotations have been formed by corn, oats, wheat,

clover, and timothy. The number of years devoted to the grain and to

the sod has varied with the soil and the desire of its owner. A common

succession is corn one year, oats one year, wheat one year, clover and

timothy one year, timothy one year--a five years' rotation that has

much substantial success behind
it. Such a rotation is wholly

reasonable and in accord with the nature of things. Every year

furnishes some organic matter for the soil in roots and stubble, and

all the produce of four years out of the five may be fed on the farm.

There is one cash crop, or two if the price of the clear timothy hay

justifies sale.



The manure may be hauled upon the sod when other work does not press,

and it goes where the crop is one that prefers fresh manure, be that

the grass or the corn. There is plenty of time after the corn to

prepare for oats, and after the oats to prepare for wheat. The

preparation for the wheat is sufficient for the clover and timothy. The

seedings come only in the spring and the fall, when rainfall is more

abundant and effective than in mid-summer. The danger of failure in

case of this rotation is relatively small.



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