274 Report of Fakmees' Institutes 



what we do not know about crop rotation 



In general, farmers rotate crops in response to economic stimuli. 

 Most of that which has been written on crop rotation merely ex- 

 plains some of the causes. Practice, in the case of rotation at 

 least, is far ahead of the scientist's recording pen. 



Two phases of this practice which have not been explained and 

 which very much need study are: (1) The relation of rotation or 

 cropping system to climate, soil, topography, marketing costs and 

 relative profits of different products. (2) The relation of rotation 

 or cropping system on the individual farms to the live stock enter- 

 prises, labor distribution, and to the business as a whole. Agri- 

 cultural experimenting, extension and tea'ching in this state would 

 be better if we knew why hops are grown where they are; why 

 wheat growing sections of New York are so clearly defined ; why 

 there are apple sections, and a grape belt; why hay is left down 

 only one year in some sections and three to five years in others ; 

 why the fertilizer practices with potatoes vary so widely ; why 

 beans are not grown in three-quarters of the state; why less and 

 less corn is grown every year ; why buckwheat is not grown where 

 it yields best ; and a thousand other ^' whys " like these. 



THE SIGNIFICANCE. AND VAEUE OF COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE 



I^ew York has soils as poor in fertility as any in the world, 

 and soils as rich as anv in the world. Its soils vary in texture 

 from the lightest sands to the heaviest clays. Between these ex- 

 tremes of fertility and texture are all gradations. Sections of 

 New York have a growing season of less than 100 days — 

 shorter than parts of Alaska ; other sections have a growing season 

 of 200 days. Small areas of the state receive so little rainfall that 

 they are almost semi-arid. The annual rainfall in different sec- 

 tions varies from less than 25 inches to over 50 ; the rainfall for 

 the 5 months, April to August inclusive, varies from less than 14 

 inches to twice that amount. Topographically the state includes 

 both extremes — the rugged mountains of the Adirondack and 

 Catskill groups, and the gently rolling stretches — the beginning 

 of the prairies — in the northern half of Western New York ; as 

 well as all the intermediate phases. Some New York farms are 



