The Wheat Crop 187 



now the wheat crop usually follows a summer hoed crop, 



either com or tobacco. 



In some sections of the country, especially in the central 



states, farmers still adhere to the practice of following the 



corn crop with oats in the spring, and then to prepare the 



oats stubble for wheat. But the best farmers are rapidly 



learning that this following of two small grain crops in 



succession is not the best for the land, and while good 



crops are important, the progressive farmer should never 



lose sight of the maintenance of the fertihty of his soil 



and its increase in productiveness. Therefore, the most 



advanced farmers have found that where wheat is the 



money crop, a short rotation, in which the legumes, 



mainly red clover, come in frequently, is the best not 



only for the land but for the gradual increase in the yield 



of the wheat crop. 



In any system of farming, the crop on 



Various which the farmer mainly reHes for income. 



Rotations for , e ^ e i u t. 



Wheat t^^ money crop of the farm, should have 



that position in the farm rotation that tends 



to increase the yield of the crop while maintaining and 



increasing the fertility of the soil. 



In the more northern part of the winter wheat region 

 the main crop of Irish potatoes shares with Indian com 

 in importance as a hoed crop, and the cultivation of either 

 of these makes the best of a summer fallow for the wheat 

 that is to follow both. 



Adopting a three-year rotation, the practice would be to 

 take a clover sod for the corn and potatoes. On that part 

 to be devoted to the com crop all the manurial accumula- 

 tion of the farm should be spread during the fall and 



