490 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



nourishment of the early seeded crop away from the soil. The fur- 

 ther disadvantage is that with the soil bare during this period of 

 five or six months, the mechanical losses due to the high winds of 

 winter and spring and to the washing of the surface are very consid 

 erable, especially on light land. 



The losses that have resulted because of these conditions leave 

 the soil depleted of a part of its active constituents, hence when 

 the oats are seeded in the spring the crop may start promptly, due 

 to the nourishment contained in the seed, but this consumed, the 

 young plants soon become hungry for food, the available nitrogen, 

 which is necessary for a rapid growth is lacking and it does not 

 make proper development until the conditions of warmth and 

 moisture are again favorable for causing changes to take place 

 in the soil, unless directly fertilized or manured. After the oat 

 crop is removed, usually about the middle of July, the land lies bare 

 again until the seeding of wheat or rye in September. During the 

 summer season, the losses from leaching are not likely to be so 

 serious, except in seasons of unusual rainfall, but if not wet, the 

 weather is usually very hot; the rays of the sun strike direct into 

 the soil and the temperature, particularly if it is sandy, rises very 

 high — the soil becomes dry and hot, in which case the organic life 

 present in the soil is likely to be destroyed. That is, because of the 

 high temperature at this season the soils are not improved by lying 

 bare, but rather injured, and when the fall crop is sown, instead of 

 an accumulation of available food in the soil, for the wheat or rye, 

 there is a deficiency, because the agencies active in promoting 

 changes of dormant into active foods have been in part destroyed. 

 The succeeding year crops must, therefore, be fertilized to ensure 

 a good start, and a sufficient root-hold upon the soil to carry them 

 through the winter. These, in brief, are the unfavorable conditions 

 in a rotation of this sort, a rotation in many ways a desirable one, 

 but which as ordinarily conducted results in a rapid exhaustion of 

 soil, though one which permits of great improvement if properly 

 modified by the use of catch crops. 



The Use of Catch Crops Improves the Rotation. 



In order to prevent losses, as well as to provide for an accumula 

 tion of food in the soil, the following suggestions are made: In the 

 first place, crimson clover may be seeded in the corn, just before 

 the last shallow cultivation, at the rate of 12 pounds per acre. If the 

 seed is well covered it will germinate very quickly, though the 

 plants may not make much growth until after the corn is removed, 

 owing to the rapid absorption of food and moisture by the corn 

 in the last stages of maturity. The plants will, however, then start 



