Crop Rotation — Its Purpose and Practice 157 



good deal of nitrogen from the decay of the sod and the 

 manure applied to the corn, and also from the growth of 

 the peas, it will not be wise to apply a complete commercial 

 fertihzer, that is, one containing nitrogen, since the tend- 

 ency of an excess of nitrogen is to make too rank a 

 growth of straw, and consequently a risk of lodging and 

 failure of the crop. But the perfection of the grain crop 

 demands that there shall be an abundance of available 

 phosphoric acid and potash present. Therefore, it will 

 always be found profitable to apply about 400 pounds 

 per acre of acid phosphate and muriate of potash mixed 

 in proportion of six parts of the first to one of the latter 

 material. 



The soil having become well settled from the spring 

 plowing and cultivation of the com, it will be far better 

 for the wheat that only the surface shall be chopped fine 

 with the cutaway, since a well-settled soil is needed for 

 the wheat. The fertihzer will of course be harrowed in 

 the preparation of the land. The com and stover are 

 gotten off during the late fall and winter, and in spring 

 the shock rows can be sown to oats, and the whole land 

 seeded with clover, using the medium red clover as the 

 best for general purposes. After the wheat harvest, and 

 as soon as the ever-present rag weeds start, run the mower 

 over the stubble to cut them off and give the young clover 

 a chance to develop. 



The following spring, before any growth is apparent 

 in the clover, spread on it twenty bushels per acre of 

 freshly water-slaked Hme, and run the smoothing harrow 

 over to spread it evenly and to mix it with the soil. 



The clover should be cut twice during the summer, the 



