FARM MANAGEMENT 



335 



but simply disking it well so as to make a good seed bed. 

 After this grain crop was harvested the land would be 

 plowed in the fall, so that it would have time to settle down 

 and become compact by spring. The next spring it would 

 be sown to grain again, but, with the grain, grass seed, 

 timothy and clover would be sown to make the crop for the 

 two years following. 



Meadow. — We have learned that grass crops as meadow 

 and pasture are beneficial to the soil, as they clean it of 





Oats 

 <9/Ja 





Oata 



/• Pasture 



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 ZfustUre 

 JGravn 

 4 Corn, 

 ^ Grain y 

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iGraiH Xtr 

 ZOraS6 

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 tj ^Qrairv 

 SCorn 



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Permanent Afeadou 



/-Corn 



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lOmss 



f^sture 

 SGrat n. 



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Grain 



2 Corn 



3 Oram yGr. 

 <frasa 



iPtisture 



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Figure 147. — A 160-acre farm in southeastern Minnesota, cropped in 1904. Com- 

 pare with the reorganization plan in Figure 148. 



Figure 148. — The 160-acre farm reorganized for a five-year rotation. Note con- 

 venient shape and arrangement of fields, and that there is little change in the 

 acreage of crops grown. The fields are simply arranged better and a systematic 

 rotation planned. 



weeds and add vegetable matter. This rotation provides 

 for having each field in grass two years out of five. The 

 first year the grass would be cut for hay and the second 

 year it would be pastured. 



Pasture. — Pasturing land occasionally, as provided in 

 this rotation, is beneficial to the soil, as practically all 

 the crop grown during the year is left on the field as manure, 

 and the development of the roots adds vegetable matter 

 also. Pasturing usually puts land in good condition for 

 other crops. One can haul manure upon it during the summer, 

 when the other fields are growing crops. This manure 

 plowed under with the pasture sod makes a good seed bed 

 for corn. 



