20- CONTINUOUS CROPPING 



sumed by the end of March the land is so ^ry that the 

 tilling may have to be delayed. This is a matter which 

 requires individual attention on the part of each 

 farmer, and a study of the average monthly rainfall in 

 his district will be a great help. 



One would imagine that this drying effect might 

 militate against the succeeding summer crops. Such, 

 however, is not the case if a little judgment is used. 

 The root action of the winter crops breaks up the soil 

 particles in a most marked manner ; hence a finer tilth 

 is procurable on the cropped, as compared with the 

 uncropped, portion. In other words, quicker tillage is 

 possible, and the repeated turnings over of the soil with 

 consequent drying in a dry spring are avoided. 



The quick tillage helps to conserve soil moisture, as 

 does also the finer tilth. The finer the soil particles, 

 the more retentive of moisture is the soil. 



A CONTINUOUS CROPPING ROTATION 



We may now set down what may be considered as a 

 standard rotation on our twenty-acre holding, and later 

 indicate how the rotation may be modified to suit any 

 abnormal conditions. The rotation is as follows : 



First year. — ^Tares for soiling. 



Second year. — ^Tares for hay, followed by winter 

 forage crops. 



Third year. — Roots consisting of mangolds and 

 potatoes. 



Fourth year. — ^Tares for hay with seeds. 



Fifth year. — Seeds for soiling. 



On a twenty-acre holding cropped on the above lines 

 there would be four acres in each break of the rotation. 



As will be noted, pasture land has been entirely elim- 

 inated, and in its stead four acres of vetches and four 

 acres of seeds as summer soiling have been substituted. 



There is a very sound economic reason for this. It 



