B. P. I.— 245. 



PLANNINC A CROPPING SYSTEM. 



By \V. J. Spillman, A(/rl<-iillnrift in Cluirgi- of Farm Mavngcment Lirestigadons. 



INTRODUCTION. 



One of the lines of work undertaken by the OfTice of Farm Manage- 

 ment Investigations is the making of working plans for farms. Some 

 of these plans are more or less general in character, representing sys- 

 tems adapted to particular types of farms in definite soil and climatic 

 areas. Others are made for individual farms. 



There are two principal reasons why work of this kind is under- 

 taken. In the first place, very few farms have any definite crop])ing 

 system, and it is comparatively easy to plan a system that will meet 

 the requirements of the case and increase the farmer's income. We 

 are thus able to render material service to a considerable number of 

 farmers, whose farms in consequence become centers of local interest 

 and serve as object lessons to the community. In the second place, 

 the number of farms on which the full possibilities of a given type of 

 farming are realized is exceedingly small; so small, in fact, that it is 

 necessary to increase the number very materially ])efore many impor- 

 tant problems relating to farm management can be solved. 



To illustrate: On the farm of Mr. W. IT. Rowe, described in Farm- 

 ers' Bulletin No. 272," the possibilities of a given system of managing 

 swine with a particular cropping system have been worked out. One 

 litter of pigs a year is produced. These are pastured on clover in 

 summer and fed sufficient grain to bring them to a weight of frorn 

 100 to 125 pounds by the end of the pasture season. In winter they 

 are fed grain and soy bean hay. The next summer they return to the 

 clover pasture, while the feeding of grain continues. About the 1st 

 of August they are sold, weighing from 325 to 350 pounds each. This 

 system utilizes the full possibilities of the clover pasture. The extra 

 hogs during early summer consume the abundant growth of clover 

 at that season, while the smaller number later find just about the 

 amount of pasture they can utilize. With this system the farmer is 

 able to sell an average of six large hogs a year for each acre in clover 

 on the farm. This farm is in the North, where winter pasture is not 

 available. The owner knew just what acreage of each crop to grow, 

 and he knew approximately the quantity of grain and mill feed he 

 would need during the year. This is the only instance thus far found 

 in which a farm devoted to hog raising had its problems so fully 

 worked out. 



102— in 



a A Successful Hog and Seed-Corn Farm, 1906. 



25 



