No. 4.] MANURIAL PROBLEMS. 173 



Results secured since the grass formula has been changed 

 have fully justified the conchisions ah-eady drawn regarding 

 these rotations. 



These rotations have shown, furthermore, that upon poor 

 soils, in bad physical condition, rye is far more likelj^ to 

 succeed at the outset than Indian corn and potatoes. If 

 grass seed is sown with the rye, and the land is then prop- 

 ' erl}^ top-dressed, excellent crops of Indian corn and potatoes 

 may be secured at a profit. In other words, it is of vital 

 importance, in undertaking to renovate a soil by the use of 

 certain rotations, that the rotation begins Avith the proper 

 crop. Doubtless this would apply with less force if plenty 

 of stable manure were available, than under conditions where 

 chemical manures must be used wholly or almost exclusivel}'. 



In the five-year rotation without clover the yields of 

 Indian corn lia,ve risen from 13.78 bushels of shelled corn to 

 72.57 bushels, and the yields of stover from 1.3 tons to 3.9 

 tons. The potato crops have also increased from a total of 

 60 bushels per acre of tubers of marketable size to 283.33 

 bushels, and in the latter case the total yield was 321.66 

 bushels. 



These rotations were begun at all of the different stages 

 instead of at the most 'advantageous point in the rotation, 

 which rendered them less remunerative than they would 

 otherwise have been. The faulty grass formula was prol^ably 

 the chief reason why these rotations Avere not so eli'ective in 

 renovating the soil as the tliree-year and four-year rotations ; 

 but if they had been begun in all cases with winter rye fol- 

 lowed by grass, and this had been more liberally manured, 

 it is believed that excellent results could have been obtained, 

 particularly if pains had been taken to lime the land before 

 sowing the rye. 



A Five-year Rotation, embracing Seven Crops in Five 



Years.* 



The plan of this rotation Avas suggested by Ex-Director 

 Chas. O. Flagg of the Rhode Island Experiment Station. 

 The order of rotation is as follows : first year, oats (clover 



* The full details of this rotation have not yet been published. 



