308 SOILS 



crop is potatoes. Nothing is more favourable for 

 potatoes than to turn under a clover sod before 

 planting. The clover is sown with the wheat or is 

 seeded in the growing wheat in early spring. It is 

 the manurial crop of the rotation ana potatoes is 

 the cleansing crop. This can be made a two-year 

 rotation by plowing under the clover in early 

 spring, in time to plant potatoes, not allowing it to 

 mature a crop. Rye may be substituted for wheat 

 and sweet potatoes or tomatoes for potatoes, without 

 lessening the value of the rotation. This rotation 

 may be secured with but one plowing. Plow the 

 sod in either fall or spring, plant the potatoes early 

 and use a harrow to prepare the seed bed for wheat 

 after the potatoes are harvested. This can be 

 made a four-course rotation by seeding with clover 

 and mixed grasses; then it becomes an excellent 

 rotation for the dairyman. 



2. Corn, oats, wheat, grass and clover. 



This is a favourite in the "Corn Belt." It is 

 economical of labour, but is open to serious ob- 

 jection in two respects when wheat follows oats 

 it is not possible to prepare the seed bed for wheat 

 properly; and two uncultivated crops of about the 

 same feeding habits are together. It is customary 

 to manure the corn; if commercial fertilisers are 

 used, they are applied to the wheat. 



3. Corn, wheat, oats. 



Where corn is the leading crop this is, in some 

 respects, a better rotation. The chief criticism 

 of it is that one must wait until the corn is ready 

 to harvest before seeding to wheat, which may be 

 so late that the wheat does not make enough 

 growth to stand the winter. Wherever it is 

 practicable to grow potatoes an even better corn 

 rotation is: 



