CROPPING AND FEEDING SYSTEMS 



175 



results. Potatoes give good results when grown in a three-years' rotation 

 consisting of potatoes, small grain and clover. At the same time a longer 

 rotation of general farm crops may prove more advantageous for the major 

 area of the farm. 



On dairy farms where soiling crops are used, a subsidiary rotation on 

 small fields close to the farmstead may prove advantageous for the produc- 

 tion of a succession of suitable soiling crops. These will be supplementary 

 to the general farm rotation that occupies the large fields for the remainder 

 of the farm. The two systems can usually be worked together, so that a 

 field is sometimes in one and sometimes in the other rotation. 



Combining Fields. Some farms are laid out in many small, irregular 

 fields that cannot always be satisfactorily combined. The number and 

 size of fields may not fit the most desirable rotation. This will involve a 

 plan of cropping the fields in the most advantageous way to meet the desired 

 cropping system. 



Having decided upon the length of the rotation, ascertain the acreage 

 of all fields and divide by the years in the rotation. This will give the area 

 of each crop for each year. With this data, select the fields that are to be 

 cropped the same in any given year in such a way that the acreage of two or 

 possibly more, may equal as nearly as possible the desired acreage of the 

 crop to be grown. 



Fixed Rotations with Unequal Areas. The livestock requirements 

 often call for an unequal acreage of the several crops. This makes the 

 cropping system more complicated, but never impossible of solution. 

 Fields of equal area may be maintained without growing an equal area of 

 each crop. Suppose the farmer wishes to grow 8 acres of potatoes, 20 acres 

 of corn, 28 acres of oats, 16 acres of wheat and 40 acres of hay, making a 

 total of 112 acres of crops. It will be necessary to decide on the number of 

 fields that give best results in accommodating these crops. If the area is 

 divided into four fields of equal size, there will be 28 acres in each. The 

 following rotation and arrangement might be used: 



Rotations for Dairy Farms. The rotations on dairy farms will depend 

 chiefly on the location and the relative cost of producing the dairy feeds as 



