AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL FARM MANAGEMENT. U 



Not only does it yield practically as well as alfalfa under his condi- 

 tions, but it is regarded as equally valuable as a feed for cattle. 

 For such use he insists that the clover must be cut earlier than is the 

 custom. He aims to cut it before much bloom appears. Despite 

 the lower analysis of clover in digestible protein, his practical ex- 

 perience shows that it is as good a milk producer as alfalfa. 



In addition to the grain ration mentioned, the cows on the farm 

 receive a good feed of silage and all the clover hay they can consume. 



A FEED-PKODUCING AND SOIL-UPBUILDING ROTATION. 



During the development of this rotation a definite ideal was con- 

 stantly kept in mind. Mr. English has always carefully investi- 

 gated any promising new crop or method, and if the experience of 

 others and a test of it in a small way warranted, he adopted it. The 

 definite rotation finally chosen was clover for one or, possibly, two 

 years, corn and potatoes following the clover, and then barley. This 

 rotation was subject to such modifications as the situation demanded, 

 such as repeating the com or growing two crops of hay when the 

 new seeding failed to catch. 



At first hay had been cut several years in succession from the same 

 meadow. It was very difficult to get a good stand of clover in oats 

 on the rich bottom land, as the oats would lodge and smother out 

 the seeding. Because of this trouble another crop in which to seed 

 down was sought. 



Hay land was heavily manured and planted to corn, which was 

 followed by beets, a heavy application of commercial fertilizer being 

 made with these. Beets were sometimes followed again with corn, 

 but more often with oats. After it was found that a good stand of 

 clover could not be obtained in oats this crop was cut green for hay, 

 the ground replowed or disked, as the case might be, and the clover 

 sown alone late in August or early in September. By selling timothy 

 hay more oats could be purchased than could be raised where the 

 timothy grew and a margin was left for profit. 



After some trials Oderbrucker barley, a 6-rowed variety, was used 

 to replace the oats, and this has been the regular grain in the rotation 

 since 1907. Even this sometimes lodges and kills out the clover, as 

 happened in 1910. To reduce the possibility of lodging to a mini- 

 mum, the quantity of seed has been decreased from 1-J bushels to 3 

 pecks per acre. 



Timothy is not grown unless the exigencies of the season demand 

 it. In 1912 one of the previous year's meadows was left down and 

 some timothy hay grown for sale, because the clover seeding had 

 to be turned under the previous year and the price of timothy hay 

 was unusually high ($25 a ton in 1912). 

 11192°— 13 2 



