516 FIELD CROPS 



for a special purpose. Thus the greater portion of the farm 

 may be devoted to the production of wheat and potatoes, 

 with clover to complete the rotation. A rotation which 

 includes these three crops embraces two cash crops, wheat 

 and potatoes; an intertilled crop, potatoes; a crop for live 

 stock, clover, with the wheat straw as roughage and bedding; 

 and a crop to add humus and nitrogen, clover. Such a 

 system would not supply enough feed other than clover hay 

 for any large number of live stock. If the section is adapted 

 to the production of corn, either for grain or for forage, that 

 crop might be added to the rotation, or a secondary rotation 

 might be devised on another part of the farm, in which corn, 

 oats, and clover may be grown. Here all three crops would 

 be suitable for feeding to live stock; all might be considered 

 as cash crops, as they would be marketed through the live 

 stock products; corn would supply the intertilled crop, and 

 clover the vegetable matter. 



676. When to Apply Manure. Many of the best systems 

 of crop rotation, as already stated, include the feeding on the 

 farm of a large proportion of the crops which are produced, 

 and the return of the fertility in the form of manure. As 

 a general thing, this manure may be applied to best advantage 

 to the grass crop or to the cultivated crops. Whenever it is 

 practicable, it should be hauled to the field during the winter 

 as it is made, as the loss from leaching there is less than if it is 

 left in the barnyard. If the manure can be stored under 

 cover where it will not leach away, it may be left to decay. 

 Well-rotted manure is less bulky and less likely to contain 

 dangerous weed seeds than fresh manure; but under most 

 other conditions it should be applied to the field as soon as 

 possible, because there is^less waste than in rotted manure, 

 and the active rotting of fresh manure in the soil warms 

 it and aids bacterial and chemical action. Manure may be 



