CHAPTER XI 



CROP ROTATIONS 



A field becomes exhausted by constant tillage. O\ID. 



THE production of crops may be divided into two classes. 

 (1) The general crop production when a number of kinds of crops 

 are produced. (2) Special farming or special crop production, 

 when attention is given chiefly to one or perhaps two money crops. 

 Specialized farming is more and more coming to be the practice 

 in America. Many farmers in New York state, as well as else- 

 where, produce timothy hay as their only money crop. In the 

 West alfalfa is now frequently found to be the only money crop. 

 In the South the money crop on different farms may be cotton or 

 sugar cane or tobacco. In parts of Louisiana and Arkansas rice 

 is sometimes the only crop raised for sale. In the northwest and 

 middle west wheat or other small grain is sometimes the only 

 crop on many farms. Potato growing is an example of special 

 farming in many parts of the country. Other examples of this 

 kind are orcharding, or market gardening, or raising of sweet 

 potatoes, or sugar beet growing. 



Specialized farming may extend beyond the production of 

 crops and is illustrated in poultry raising or more specialized egg 

 farming, or swine farming, or the production and sale of dairy 

 products, or the raising of mules, or the production of some pure 

 breed of livestock. Where livestock farming is involved the opera- 

 tions on the farm are usually less specialized. The management 

 and feeding of livestock usually involve the production of a wide 

 range of farm crops. 



Whether the system of farming carried on by any manager 

 is classified as special or as general farming it is advisable, and 

 usually necessary, that he should adopt suitable systems of rota- 

 tion. In general farming, where several crops are grown, it is 

 easier to establish a suitable plan for their rotation. When only 

 one or two crops are produced it is not so easy to profitably plan 

 a rotation course, but this may be accomplished by the growing 

 of cover crops, green manure crops, and catch crops between the 

 regular seasons when the main crops are produced. 



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