MAINTAINING SOIL FERTILITY 309 



4. Corn, potatoes, wheat, clover. 



The clover sod is manured heavily before being 

 planted to corn. This is an almost ideal rotation, 

 since the crops of cereals alternate with a root or 

 clover crop. Under certain conditions the crop of 

 wheat may be dispensed with, making: 



5. Corn, potatoes, clover. 



In this and similar rotations the second crop of 

 clover should not be cut, but should be plowed 

 under to enrich the soil and feed the corn. 



The essential point in rotations for stock farming 

 is to provide the maximum amount of roughage 

 and succulence. One of the most useful rotations 

 for this purpose is: 



6. Turnips, barley, mixed grasses and clover, 



This is the noted "Norfolk system*' used ex- 

 tensively in England. If it is not desired to intro- 

 duce grain so frequently, this can be made a six- 

 course rotation by cutting the grass and clover 

 meadow three years, thus keeping one-half the farm 

 in hay. This rotation may be modified in many 

 ways to meet varying conditions, as by substi- 

 tuting oats for barley, rye for wheat, mangels or 

 sugar beets for turnips. In this rotation the cereals 

 are separated by roots, which is the cleansing crop, 

 and clover, which is the manurial crop. It is one of 

 the most perfect rotations in existence. 



A popular dairy-farm rotation is: 



7. JPotatoes, one year; corn, two years; grass and 

 clover, three years. 



The corn may be put into the silo the second 

 year. The grass and clover mixture is sown when 

 the corn is cultivated last. If desirable, one year 

 of corn or one of meadow may be omitted. The 

 main object in a dairy rotation is to secure a 



