330 FARM MANAGEMENT AND CROP ROTATION 



In doing this it is important to keep in mind the entire business 

 of any particular farm so that whatever rotations are adopted 

 they will not disturb in any great degree the type of farming 

 already established, unless the farming business itself is radically 

 changed. Moreover, in reorganizing any farm, two or three years 

 may be required before the revised cropping plans can be fully 

 adopted, because existing conditions must be considered, as regards 

 pasture, hay fields, size and arrangement of fields, drainage, etc. 



Bearing in mind all the determining factors, the procedure 

 in planning rotations for any particular farm may best be started 

 in the form of problems, or cases, as follows : 



Case A. A stock farm already stocked. 



1. First determine the amount of grain, corn and hay, etc., 

 necessary to meet the feeding requirements. 



2. Determine the average yields on the farm. 



3. Determine the acreage necessary to produce the required 

 crops for feed. 



4. Make a map of the farm just as it is with fields showing 

 acres in each. 



5. Number the fields in some convenient way. 



6. Consider the rotations best suited to soil conditions or types 

 of soil in each field or on various portions of the farm 



7. Plan to grow each year the required amounts of the dif- 

 ferent crops. 



8. Rearrange the fields if necessary to simplify the cropping 

 plans and to aid in general field management. 



Case B. A farm designed for stock but not yet stocked. 



1. Determine the kinds of stock to be kept. 



2. Determine the acreage available for growing crops (includ- 

 ing pasture). 



3. Ascertain the average yields of the crops to be grown. 



4. Estimate the amount of stock that can be conveniently kept. 



5. Determine definitely the acreage necessary to grow the 

 crops required for feed. 



6. Proceed as in Case A, point 4. 



Case C. A grain farm, with soil problems. 



1. Make a map of the farm; show fields, acreage, and indicate 

 soil problems and conditions. 



2. Determine crops to be grown. 



3. Plan rotations best for special soils, to improve poor soils 

 in certain fields, and to best meet other soil conditions. 



