CROPPING SYSTEMS FOR STOCK FARMS 28l 



"Again, we may sow 10 acres of timothy and clover in the 

 corn-field of year i to take the place of the 10 acres of peas and 

 oats in year 2. Similar modifications may be made in the second 

 complex rotation. This is exactly the type of cropping system 

 that has been developed by the shrewd New England dairy 

 farmer whose small holdings will not permit him to grow a 

 fixed, inelastic rotation that does not produce the crops in the 

 proportion in which he wants them. Such a system enables the 

 farmer to keep a maximum herd on his farm. 



"It is, of course, recognized that variations in yield from 

 year to year will cause considerable variation in the quantity of 

 each crop produced. This variation is especially likely to occur 

 on poor soils ; it is much less on farms that have exceedingly 

 rich soil. Nevertheless, the farmer is compelled to lay some 

 kind of plan for meeting such variations in yield. Any scheme 

 has value if it enables the farmer to approach more nearly to the 

 ideal of his plans, and cropping systems like the complex rota- 

 tions outlined will do this." 



How to Plan a Cropping System. The following is taken from 

 Spillman's article in the 1907 Year-book United States Dept. 

 of Agriculture : 



"The method of managing hogs assumed in the following is 

 adapted to the latitude of Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, 

 Tennessee, Southern Missouri, and Northern Arkansas. It as- 

 sumes that winter grain can be made available for pasture prac- 

 tically throughout the winter. When pasture is not available, some 

 clover hay cut from the summer pasture is fed. A small area of 

 soy-bean hay may also be grown for winter feed for the hogs. 

 Fixed rotations are necessary in this type of farming, because 

 each field must be permanently fenced. Experience has shown 

 that with good pasture 10 bushels of corn will, on the average, 

 make a fall pig weigh about 170 pounds by July. The same quan- 

 tity of corn, with good clover or alfalfa pasture, will carry a 

 spring pig to 190 or 200 pounds by December or January. The 

 pigs are supposed to be fed about all the corn they will eat up 

 clean once a day late in the afternoon. It will require about 25 

 bushels of corn to feed a sow on pasture for a year. The sows are 

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