58 CULTIVATION METHODS AND ROTATIONS FO£ GREAT PLAINS. 



This rotation is one that has proved very satisfactory in our experi- 

 ments, and it is believed that with the modifications that may be 

 made in it, it will be found adapted to a large portion of the Great 

 Plains area. It is possible that the order in which the crops are grown 

 might be changed, but from our experience in this particular we have 

 found this arrangement the most satisfactory. This being a 5-year 

 rotation, the farm would be divided into five fields of 32 acres each. 

 There would be 32 acres of corn, 64 acres of small grain, and 64 acres 

 of meadow each year. 



Corn. — This crop may be grown either upon fall plowing or spring 

 plowing. The time of planting must be determined by the experience 

 of farmers in the particular locality where it is to be tried. It is 

 believed that, as a broad general proposition, spring plowing gives 

 better results than fall plowing, but there are some notable excep- 

 tions to this general rule. If the ground is to be plowed in the fall, 

 the plowing should be done as soon after the preceding crop is harvested 

 as possible. The depth to which the plowing should be done is a 

 matter that depends largely upon local conditions of soil and climate, 

 and also upon the depth to which plowing has been done in previous 

 years. It is not usually desirable to plow more than about 1 inch 

 of soil that has not been previously stirred. 



In the northern part of the area it will be impracticable to attempt 

 any cultivation of the ground during the winter when the soil is frozen, 

 but in the southern portion of the area, where the ground is not con- 

 stantly frozen and where there is more or less winter rain, it would 

 probably be advisable to harrow the ground after rains in order to 

 preserve the moisture. In the spring the land may be disked or har- 

 rowed after rains to conserve the moisture until planting time. 

 Where the soil is of such a nature as to cause it to blow badly, the fall, 

 winter, and spring treatment should be such as to reduce this danger 

 to the lowest point. No general rule can be laid down which would 

 be applicable to the many different soils to be found in the area. The 

 planting may be done with a checkrower or with a lister; which- 

 ever method is used the ground should be frequently cultivated after 

 planting with a weeder or light harrow, or with some of the imple- 

 ments used for cultivated and listed ground. When the grain has 

 reached the height where this class of implements can not be used, it 

 should be thoroughly cultivated, not only to keep it free from weeds, 

 but to keep the crust broken, so as to conserve the moisture. In 

 cultivating the corn crop, two objects should constantly be kept in 

 view: (1) The cultivation of the soil with reference to the corn crop, 

 and (2) the preparation of the soil for the grain crop which is to follow. 

 Experience has shown that where corn does not grow oftener than 

 once in three years in the rotation it does not pay to plow the land 



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