A FIVE-YEAR FARM MANAGEMENT SURVEY IN OHIO. 25 



CLOVER AND LIME. 



The farmers of this township have experienced difRcuhy in getting 

 stands of clover; so much that some have quit sowing clover seed. 

 When they were asked if they had any trouble in securing stands 

 of clover, many replied, " Not if I top-dressed." Perhaps for this 

 reason more manure has been applied as a top-dressing to wheat — to 

 be followed with clover and timothy — ^than in any other manner. 

 Most of these farms did not supply enough manure to top-dress all 

 the wheat land each year, and the seeding of clover on these fields 

 or parts of fields not top-dressed failed more often than on those 

 that had been top-dressed. 



Lime would aid materially in lessening the number of clover fail- 

 ures. Several of the farmers have used lime in a limited and experi- 

 mental way within the last five years and with very few exceptions 

 report favorable results. Most of them realize the importance of 

 using lime, but they are at a disadvantage in getting lime to the 

 farms, the haul is so long. The nearest available source of lime at 

 present is a limestone crusher about a mile out from Waterford. 

 This crusher is in operation at all times of the year when farmers 

 would be likely to haul lime. Even though it is a big job to get lime 

 to these farms, if each farmer would spend a day or two now and then 

 in hauling lime, several tons could be put on each farm in a few 

 years, and the results would be well worth the effort. 



CROP ROTATION. 



In the succession of crops in Palmer Township three rotation sys- 

 tems a,re practiced : 



A three-crop system of corn, wheat, and grass. 



A two-crop system of corn and grass. 



A four-crop system of corn, oats, wheat, and grass. 



The three-crop rotation was most common, with corn and wheat 

 one year each and with a great variation in the number of years 

 occupied by grass. Based upon this variation, the three-crop rotation 

 may be divided as follows : A three-year rotation during which each 

 crop was grown one year; a four-year rotation during which corn 

 and wheat were grown one year each and grass two years; and a 

 rotation of corn and wheat one year each followed by grass for an 

 indefinite number of years, usually from two to five, but with ex- 

 tremes from one to seven years. 



Only one farmer regularly practiced this three-year rotation 

 throughovit the five years, although two years ago another farmer 

 shortened his rotation period to three years, reducing the grass for 

 hay to one year instead of two. 



A few farmers practiced the four-year rotation of corn and wheat 

 one year each, and grass two years, but among those practicing a 

 63263°— 18— Bull. 716 4 



