252 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



THE CROP SYSTEM MOST SUITABLE FOR USE BY 



DAIRY FARMERS. 



By Hervey S. Bean, Kent's Hill. 



(Prize Essay) 



The ideal crop system for dairy farmers is the one which 

 will supply to the dairy herd the greatest amount of nutritious, 

 succulent food at the lowest expense. It is hardly possible to 

 furnish the entire balanced ration from the products of the 

 farm, and if it were possible it would not be profitable to do so. 

 It is often better to buy concentrated feed to balance the ani- 

 mal's ration, even selling some of the farm products to pay for 

 it. The expense for concentrates should be kept as low as 

 possible with consistent feeding, for a "penny saved," or kept 

 on the farm, "is a penny earned," in this case as in others. 



In planning the crop system for a dairy farm there are two 

 important considerations ; first, we must consider the location, 

 climate, condition of the soil and the cost of production; second, 

 wliat crops, that are adapted to these conditions, will furnish 

 the greatest amount of nutrition and will make the most nearly 

 balanced ration. 



Perhaps it would be well to consider the purpose of a system 

 of rotation of crops. It has been found, by well conducted 

 experiments, that no crop will do its best if grown continuously 

 on the same ground. It is known also that after a few years 

 the crop will cease to grow even if commercial fertilizer or 

 manure is applied freely. Any crop will soon exhaust the avail- 

 able plant food of the soil so that the fertility will have to be 

 renewed, and rotation of crops has been found to be the cheap- 

 est means of restoring plant food to the soil. 



Another advantage of a well planned rotation system is that 

 it helps to solve the labor problem. As the rotation system 

 spreads the work of preparation and harvesting over a longer 



