FOR UETTFJl CROPS 29 



will pay part for breeding- work on experiment farms. The farm- 

 er's part in obtaining seed of the new varieties and in raising, 

 caring for, and preparing liis seed will not be appreciably greater 

 than now. 



Place of Grains in the Rotation — Wheat and Otlier small 

 grains are somewhat sensitive to the condition in whicli tlie 

 previous crop left tlie soil. Tliey do not tlirive well after a crop 

 of small grain. In many cases they will yield twenty or thirty 

 per cent more after a hoed crop, as corn or potatoes, or after a 

 crop of grass, clover, or alfalfa than after a small grain crop. 



Though these grains are benetlted by a direct application of 

 either barn or commercial fertilizer on poor soils, they are some- 

 times injured by the application of barn manure on rich soils. 



Generally barnyard manure will give more final returns by 

 the acre to the farm If applied to a previous cultivated crop as 

 corn, or even to the grass crop, in rotation; the wheat, oats, 

 barley, or other grain thus receiving the residual effect. 



On new and other rich soils, barnyard manure often overdoes 

 the small grain crop by causing it to grow heavy in the straw 

 and to lodge and produce light, shrunken grain, though it helps, 

 without injuring, the other crops mentioned which are grown in 

 rotation with wheat. 



Some of the Best Plans of Rotation — A good five-year 

 rotation for grain in some of the states of the middle northwest 

 is: first year, small grain; second and third years, meadow and 

 pasture of grasses and clovers seeded the first year with the 

 grain; fourth year, small grain; fifth year, corn, applying the 

 manure before the corn crop; then, beginning the second five- 

 year period, repeat the rotation. 



A four-year rotation found useful on some farms is as follows: 

 first year, small grain; second year, red clover; third year, small 

 grain; fourth year, corn; and repeat. 



A three-year rotation as follows gives splendid conditions for 

 the wheat or other small grain: First year, small grain; second 

 year, red clover; third year, corn; and repeat. 



Small grain and corn in a two-year rotation place the land in 

 good condition for each crop of grain. 



In the south, cotton and cowpeas can take the place of the 

 corn and clover in a four, three, or two-year rotation; and in many 

 cases the cowpeas may follow the winter wheat, making two 

 crops in one year, thus shortening the rotation by gaining one 

 year in the four or three-year rotation. 



By following some such method of natural farming the legu- 

 minous crops help to add nitrogen and organic substance to the 

 soil surface of weeds and will provide the rather well compacted 

 furrow slice needed to cause the small grain plant to stool well 

 and to thrive throughout its growth. 



