FARM CROPS. 77 



from diversification are discussed under the subject of 

 rotation of crops. 



Rotation of Crops. A rotation of crops, as the 

 name implies, is the growing of a certain number of 

 crops following each other in regular order on each 

 field. When a regular rotation is practiced, each field 

 produces a series of crops, as cotton, followed by corn, 

 winter oats, and cowpeas in the order named, and is 

 then planted again to the first crop in the series, which, 

 in this case, would be cotton. All of the crops of the 

 rotation are grown on the farm each year, so any one 

 crop may be considered as the beginning of the series. 



A rotation differs from diversification only in the 

 fact that in the former the crops are grown in a defi- 

 nite system, while in the latter this regularity may be 

 lacking. 



Rotations are usually designated by the length of 

 time it takes to complete them, as a four-year rotation 

 or a three-year rotation. The word " course " is 

 sometimes substituted for the word " year," but its 

 use is not recommended because its meaning is not so 

 evident. 



Arrangement of Fields for a Rotation. It is highly 

 important that there be approximately the same num- 

 ber of acres devoted to each crop in the rotation every 

 year. This enables the farmer to plan his work to 

 better advantage, to keep a definite number of live- 

 stock and to estimate his income. In order to accom- 

 plish this, there should be the same number of fields 

 of equal area, as it takes years to complete the rota- 

 tion. For example, if it is a four-year rotation, the 

 farm should be divided into four fields. 



Advantages from a Rotation. The chief reasons 

 for practicing a rotation of crops rather than hap- 

 hazard planting or single crop farming may be given 

 as follows : 



i. It distributes the labor on the farm more evenly 

 throughout the year and allows the farmer to plan his 

 work more systematically. 



