CBOPPING SYSTEMS WASHINGTON, OREGON, IDAHO. 9 



ROTATION FOR INCREASING PROFITS. 



The majority of farmers in those sections of eastern Washington, 

 eastern Oregon, and northern Idaho having an annual precipitation 

 in excess of 20 inches follow a three-wear rotation of wheat, oats, or 

 barley, and summer fallow. Many are to be found, however, who 

 have broken away from this type of farming on at least part of the 

 farm and are eliminating the summer fallow on small areas by the 

 use of clover in the rotation. In Nez Perce, Lewis, and Idaho 

 Counties, Idaho, clover is used to quite an extent. A study of the 

 cropping systems of this region shows that clover may be used with 

 as much success there as in the Willamette Valley, Oreg. 



The usual method of establishing a crop rotation is to divide the 

 farm into equal parts and change the crop on each field from year 

 to year. For example, a three-year rotation of winter wheat, oats, 

 and clover would be planned as follows : 



Table VII, — Usual form of three-field, three-year rotation of winter wheat, oats, and clover. 



Year. 



Field B. 



First year Winter wheat Oats Clover. 



Second year Clover Winter wheat j Oats. 



Third year ' Oats Clover Winter wheat. 



On account of the hilly nature of the farm land in the section 

 under discussion fields must be laid out in such a manner as to facili- 

 tate the operation of farm machinery. For this reason it is not 

 always easy for the farmer to divide the farm so that an equal area 

 may be devoted to each crop of the rotation. The rotation may be 

 carried out, however, on each field during three successive seasons. 

 The crops to be grown on each field should be so selected that approxi- 

 mately one-third of the farm area is devoted each year to one crop 

 of the rotation. 



THREE-YEAR CROPPING SYSTEMS. 



The farmers of this section who do not wish to grow intertilled 

 crops may introduce clover by using one of the following cropping 

 systems : 



First year. Second year. Third year. 



Spring wheat, oats, barley, Clover for hay, seed, or pas- Spring wheat, oats, barley, 

 or field peas. (The grain ture. or field peas, 



is seeded as a nurse crop 

 with clover.) 



Clover is seeded with spring wheat, oats, barley, or field peas during 

 the first year. In the second year the clover which was seeded the 



