TENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X 517 



In the early days, when the land was new, corn yielded 75 to 80 'bushels 

 per acre and oats 40 bushels, and this type of farming — corn in rotation 

 with oats — was very profitable. At the present time on similar land and 

 within 10 miles of the farm in question one extensive farmer has been able 

 to maintain the average yield of both corn and oats for a period of sixteen 

 years at 40 bushels per acre. Even on this farm scarcely 15 per cent of 

 the area is yearly planted to clover, and no commercial fertilizer and prac- 

 tically no stahle manure is used. 



With a proper system of rotation, the introduction of clover into the 

 farming scheme, and the use of comparatively small quantities of commer- 

 cial fertilizers where barnyard manure is not available, it should be easily 

 possible to make the average yields of corn on this farm 60 to 75 bushels 

 per acre and of oats 40 to 45 bushels. 



This estimate is hasod on the fact that in a thirty-year rotation experi- 

 ment at the University of Illinois the yield of corn in a rotation of corn, 

 oats, and clover has averaged 58 bushels per acre, and when treated with 

 lime and phosphorous in addition for thirteen years the average yield of 

 corn per acre has been 90 bushels.* Our first thought, therefore, in re- 

 planning this farm is to introduce clover into the rotation and to use 

 some form of commercial fertilizor that will maintain the fertility of the 

 soil and increase the yield of money crops. 



SOME FCNDAilENTAL POINTS TO BE KEPT IN MIND. 



In replanning a farm it is essential that a few fundamental points in 

 farming be kept constantly in mind: 



(1) The plan should provide a reasonable reward for the labor and 

 capital invested. 



(2) The fertility of the farm should "be maintained or increased. 



(3) The plan must be suited to the capabilities of the owner for carry- 

 ing it out. 



It is assumed that in order to replan a farm for profit it is necessary 

 to consider the capabilities of the farmer to put the new plan into effect. 

 This, in general, w^ill render it necessary to recombine the phases of farm- 

 ing with W'hich he is already familiar or to bring in new features which 

 are not very dissimilar to the ones he is already accustomed to. That is 

 why in plan 1 the only change made is the addition of clover to the ro- 

 tation, with a little bone meal to increase the corn crop. 



PLAN 1 — A GEAIN AND HAY FAEM. 



, Live stock to "be Kept. 



To successfully handle an 80-acre farm of heavy soil on which corn, oats, 

 and hay are grown, about four work animals wall be needed. These may 

 well be draft brood mares, and it may safely be assumed that each mare 

 will produce on an average a colt every other year. To supply the family 

 with milk and butter, aljout two cows will be needed. The farmer will 



•See Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 125, p. 324. 

 3013— Bull. 370—09—2. 



