Farmers' Week in Agricultural College. 149 



year rotation, has been known to increase the yield to ahnost three times 

 that of continuous one-crop culture. 



Not only is a rotation important in crop production on corn belt 

 farms, but it is highly desirable in connection with keeping of most 

 classes of live stock. Along with corn a certain amount of clover pasture 

 and hay, or a substitute for them, must be furnished each year, and in 

 no way can it be done with greater ease and with more certainty than 

 to follow a regular rotation of which clover forms a part. 



A regular rotation, likewise, adds system to the management of 

 the farm. It is known definitely what is to be done each year. Each 

 field gets its certain crop or certain special treatment in fertilizers or 

 manures at regular intervals. This makes it possible to estimate the 

 number of live stock that can be kept each year, and the general returns 

 that may reasonably be expected from the farm. 



Important as continued pursuance of a regular rotation is, no 

 factor in it is so vital and gives so much trouble as the successful 

 management of clover in the rotation. If there is a failure of this crop, 

 then a profitable and suitable substitute must be found, or the whole 

 field is left idle and the entire rotation deranged. 



It was because of this important relation which the management 

 of clover bears to the rotations generally practiced and the ever-increas- 

 ing difficulty that farmers in general are experiencing in growing 

 clover successfully that a careful and systematic study of the farm 

 practices relating thereto was undertaken. The problem has been an 

 interesting one indeed, and has revealed a great many factors not at 

 first suspected. 



Rotations including ivJieat. — Among the very common rotations 

 found on the average farm of the section under consideration is one 

 of wliich wheat forms a part. There has been for some time a ten- 

 dency on the part of farmers to discontinue this crop wherever possible, 

 but for the most part, even though it is considered uncertain and un- 

 profitable, it is kept in the rotation because it is thought necessary or 

 at least very desirable in getting a stand of clover. 



• Perhaps the most common of these rotations is that of corn, oats, 

 wheat and clover. Another is that of corn, corn, wheat and clover. 

 Again, another is corn, wheat and clover, this being only a three-year 

 rotation. All of these find favor with individual farmers. It generally 

 depends somewhat on local conditions as well as local customs as to 

 which predominates. The first is the old rotation found on many gen- 

 eral farms, while the second is found wliere it is desirable to produce 

 more corn to feed a larger number of hogs. The third is a very useful 



