DOMINION EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 21 



from each crop grown. Hence, in arranging a rotation, it is very 

 necessary to have some knowledge of the food requirements, and 

 to know something of the values of the residues, of the different 

 crops included. 



Certain forage crops, such as corn, roots, potatoes and hay 

 require an immense amount of food suitable for stem, leaf and 

 root production. This food is known as nitrates and is furnished 

 by clover and other sod turned down, and in well manured land. 

 Other crops, such as cereals, can thrive with a lighter supply of 

 nitrates, but need more phosphates, hence do well after some 

 forage crop has taken up the superabundance of nitrates found 

 after sod. It is evident, therefore, that a good rotation will include 

 (1) meadow or pasture, (2) roots or corn, (3) some cereal crop. 



Various combinations of these three classes are possible and 

 our experimental work is to determine (1) the comparative values 

 of rotations as soil improvers and (2) their relative suitability for 

 different lines of farming. 



Rotation 'A'. — 5 Year. 



First Year. — Land ploughed in August, well worked, ribbed 

 in October; seeded next spring to oats, and 10 lbs. clover sown 

 per acre; allowed to grow one year and turned under as fertilizer 

 for corn. 



Second Year.^ — Corn, manure applied in winter or spring, 25 

 tons per acre; shallow ploughed, corn planted. 



Third Year. — Grain, seeded down, 8 lbs. red clover, 2 lbs. 

 alsike, 10 to 12 lbs. timothy per acre. 



Fourth Year. — Clover hay, two crops expected. 



Fifth Year. — Timothy hay or pasture. 



Rotation 'B'. — 5 Year. 



First Year. — Grain, land ploughed previous autumn. Seeded 

 down 10 lbs. red clover, 2 lbs. alsike, 5 lbs. timothy per acre. 



Second Year. — Clover hay, two crops expected, or pasture. 



Third Year. — Corn, manured in winter, 20 to 25 tons per 

 acre; spring ploughed. 



Fourth Year. — Grain, seeded down, red clover, 10 lbs., alsike 

 2 lbs. and 5 lbs. timothy per acre. Land fall-ploughed after corn; 

 very shallow furrow. 



Fifth Year. — Clover hay, two crops; late fall-ploughed or 

 pasture. 



Rotation 'C\ — 4 Year. 



First Year. — Hoed Crop — manured, barnyard manure 20 

 tons per acre. 



