DIVISION OF FIELD HUSBANDRY . 145 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



This is distinctly an alfalfa rotation. For the use of this crop it is necessary to 

 have a long rotation, as the alfalfa is expensive to seed, and takes some time to reach 

 its highest production. This rotation would be best suited to a dairy or stock farm, 

 as half the land is alfalfa. 



The soil on which rotation ' W ' is used, is heavy clay. This rotation has not yet 

 been started. All that has been done is to allot a block of land, and get most of. it 

 seeded to alfalfa. The land has not as yet been subdivided. The first year wheat will 

 be sown on land that grew alfalfa for four years and was ploughed in midsummer 

 after the first cutting of the last year of alfalfa was taken off. After fall ploughing, 

 another crop of wheat will be taken off. The land will then be heavily manured, and 

 sown to corn or roots. Following the hoed crop, oats will be sown, without ploughing. 

 Following the oats, a crop of early maturing barley (probably beardless) will be grown, 

 and the land given a partial summer-fallow, either before the barley is sown or after 

 it comes off. The next year, alfalfa will be sown without a nurse crop. Three full 

 years of alfalfa hay, and a first cutting of the fourth year, will be harvested. The land 

 will then be ploughed in midsummer, and made ready for wheat again. 



The details of costs, returns and profits of rotations ' D/ ' E,' ' F ' and ' G ' are 

 given in the following table : — ■ 



16—10 



