196 DRY FARMING 



152. Rotations now used in the West.— The cropping 

 systems now followed in the Canadian West vary in dif- 

 ferent parts. The following are some of the most 

 common : — 



1. Fallow, wheat, and wheat or oats. This rotation 

 is used in the drier parts of the prairie area. In the ex- 

 tremely dry areas a few men fallow the land every sec- 

 ond year. 



2. Fallow, wheat, wheat, and oats or barley — used in 

 the more moist parts of the prairies. 



3. Fallow, oats, wheat, oats, and barley— used in the 

 higher altitudes or northern areas of prairie or park belt 

 where the frost-free period is somewhat shorter than in 

 the southern part of the prairie belt. 



4. Oats and barley for hay, wheat, wheat, oats or 

 barley — used in the more humid short season parts where 

 the fallow crop is often too late to be profitable. 



5. Fallow or breaking, wheat, oats, hay, pasture — used 

 to some extent in mixed farming areas where the pre- 

 cipitation is low. 



. The rotations of the future for the prairie areas must 

 includle a gi^in crop, a legume crop, and a fallow, or 

 where it can be profitably grown, an intertilled crop. 

 In the early years at least they will necessarily include 

 one or more cash crops. 



What the cash crops will be, climate and soil condi- 

 tions will determine. Wheat, oats, barley and rye, in 

 some areas flax, and in some alfalfa, timothy and potatoes 

 may be used. The grass crops will likely be confined to 

 Western rye grass, brome grass and timothy, although 

 some Kentucky blue grass, red top and meadow fescue 

 may be grown. The most profitable legume crops for 

 short rotations are sweet clover and peas, and for long 



