CROP EOTATION COMPARED WITH CONTINUOUS CROPPING. 29 



which the growing of the corn crop has in preparing the soil for the 

 crops of small grain which are to follow it in rotation. 



It is assumed that the corn crop will produce enough in the form 

 of fodder and grain to at least pay for the labor involved in its pro- 

 duction. The labor involved in raising a crop of corn is no greater 

 than that required to summer till an equal area. In comparing the 

 yields obtained from the small-grain crops in a rotation containing 

 summer tillage with one containing corn it has been assumed that the 

 yields from the summer-tillage rotation must be enough in excess of 

 those from the corn rotation to pay for the summer tillage. Or, to 

 put it in another way, the corn crop must be sufficient to equal in 

 value the excess in yield of the two small-grain crops in the summer- 

 tilled over those in the corn rotation. Whatever form of compari- 

 son is used it is assumed that the labor required to produce a crop of 

 corn is approximately the same as to summer till. The corn crop 

 pays for the work bestowed upon it, while the summer-tilled rotation 

 must produce enough more small grain to pay for the cost of the sum- 

 mer tillage. 



Corn should therefore be much more commonly grown than it now 

 is in this area, not because it is a profitable crop in itself, but because 

 it takes the place of summer tillage in the rotation and at least pays 

 for the labor bestowed upon it. A corn crop might therefore be con- 

 sidered a complete failure judged from the standpoint of grain pro- 

 duction, but still yield enough in the way of rough fodder and be valu- 

 able enough in its effect upon subsequent crops in the rotation to make 

 it a very profitable crop. 



In the double columns headed "Corn" are given the yields in 

 bushels per acre and the farm value per acre based upon the actual 

 yields of grain wherever the crop matured. The yields of fodder are 

 also given in pounds per acre, but no value is calculated for this por- 

 tion of the crop. It will be noticed that in many instances a good 

 yield of fodder was obtained without any reported yield of grain. 

 This is due to the failure of the crop to mature. The selection of an 

 earlier maturing variety would undoubtedly in many instances have 

 resulted in a good yield of grain. The corn yields do not enter into 

 the valuation of the rotation. These figures are given simply to show 

 that corn can be grown at these stations. 



187 



