ROTATION IN DRY AREAS . 389 



all efforts, but this mistake is of less frequent occur- 

 rence than the opposite. When but one crop is grown, 

 the stake for the year is all centered in that crop. Should 

 failure be complete, the stake is lost. Should it be 

 partial, the farmer is proportionately crippled. The more 

 the diversity in the grain production, the more safe, is 

 the farming, and if the production is extended to live 

 stock the farming is still safer. Such widening of the 

 rotation is not inconsistent with centering the effort 

 mainly on the production of one leading staple. The 

 story of the one-crop system indefinitely continued is 

 the same in the main in all the states. If continued 

 long enough it ends in disaster. 



The maintenance furnished to the home from a 

 wide rotation is very much more complete than from 

 a narrow one. It makes it easily possible for the farmer 

 to grow nearly all the food products which he needs, 

 thus reducing proportionately the outlay. The influence 

 on the accumulation is thus very marked. The person 

 who centers all on the production of one crop or but a 

 few crops, incurs large outlay for the support of his 

 table. His profits are by that much reduced. 



A wide diversity in crop production makes possible 

 a wider diversity in the production of live stock, as it 

 furnishes the food called for by each class. The farming 

 is thus made doubly sure, as a season that may be un- 

 favorable to the production of marketable cereals may 

 be favorable to the growth of fodders which may be 

 turned to good account by live stock when fed to them. 

 The farmer who thus diversifies is certainly pursuing 

 the safest line of farming. Let the season be what it 

 may, he is sure to get returns from some line or lines of 

 his work. 



With increasing wideness in production comes in- 

 creasing stability in the markets. This may not apply 

 so much to a product of world-wide use and of easy 



