EOTATION OF CROPS. 411 



while in the latter, he is enabled to bring into use all the science and skill 

 of which he is master. 



Before deciding upon any particular course of rotation the husbandman 

 should first study the nature of his soil and the nature and habits of the dif- 

 ferent crops he desires to enter into the rotation, and strive, as far as possi- 

 ble, to have the most dissimilar plants succeed each other. If wheat is to take 

 a prominent place in the rotation, then make red clover another prominent 

 factor, and should wheat be left out retain the clover, and the more clover 

 the better, especially if it is not allowed to remain seeded too long. Two 

 years should be the outside limit, and if it is plowed up after one year, and 

 more seeded so much the better. But if clover is raised it will be necessary 

 to keep stock to consume it, and if stock is made one of the prominent feat- 

 ures, then a mot crop may be introduced with profit, and if from any cause 

 it is not thought expedient to put any other crop on a field, sow something 

 for a crop of green manure, and thus avoid letting it lie idle. If there is any 

 one crop whose virtues I would extol more than another it is red clover, and 

 whatever system of rotation is adopted, whether long or short, fixed or vari- 

 able, it should be recognized as the most important factor in restoring and 

 maintaining the resources of the soil. 



Mr. Claflin: What crops would you select for rotation? 



Mr. Swift: That would depend wholly on soil, climate and circumstances* 

 Corn, roots, oats, wheat, clover, clover is the rotation at the Agricultural 

 College. 



Dr. Miles : I want to emphasize one or two points. By rotating you can 

 get a greater aggregate yield. At Eothamstead they grew wheat sixteen years 

 in succession, and on a similar field they grew wheat every other year and 

 fallow alternate years for sixteen years, and this gave as much wheat as the 

 every year wheat. Then they tried alternating wheat and beans and got the 

 same amount of wheat and had the beans in addition. So you see the land 

 would only give a certain amount of wheat in so many years. You can take 

 that and get other crops in addition by rotating. Another gain in rotating 

 crops is the distribution of labor more evenly through the different seasons of 

 the year. Again, if every one in the country should try to depend on com- 

 mercial fertilizers the supply could not possibly meet the demand. The barn- 

 yard must be the dependence, so your rotation must contemplate stock keep- 

 ing and this must include a varied diet. 



Mr. Bradley : Which of the three soils, sixteen wheats or eight wheats and 

 eight fallows, or eight wheats and eight beans were left in the best shape? 



Dr. Miles : I can't give the exact figures but the continuous wheat left 

 the soil better than the wheat and fallow, as the fallow admits a waste of 

 material. The alternate wheat and beans left the soil in the best con- 

 dition. 



Question: How about alsike? 



Dr. Miles: Very fickle. I never could grow as much alsike as I could red 

 clover. 



Mr. : Is drilling or broadcasting best? 



Dr. Miles : It depends on the conditions. Drilling is more convenient 

 and better where there is danger of frost. 



Mr. Swift: Does not green manuring mechanically improve the soil? 



Dr. Miles : Leguminous crops like clover, etc., bring up nitrogenous ele- 

 ments from the subsoil. Green manuring does have a good effect in making 

 heavy soils more porous and light soils heavier. 



