12 
BULLETIN 726, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUBE. 
been evolved. Field experience had to be accumulated before any 
advanced steps could be taken. 
Prior to the year 1885 comparatively few men had set aside part of 
their land for alfalfa, though the continued culture of wheat had 
reduced the supply of organic matter in the surface soil and a change 
in the method of cropping appeared to be essential. During this 
early period' it was not thought that alfalfa could be used in a regular 
rotation. This plant possessed a long tap root and farmers had the 
opinion that the* crop could not be subdued readily. However, the 
pioneer in this field soon demonstrated that alfalfa had many advan- 
tages, and before many years had passed it was recognized as a basic 
crop in the rotation. In all of the counties which were included in 
this study a considerable acreage is devoted to this legume. Alfalfa 
is the initial crop in the typical rotations that have been adopted in 
these regions, as will be seen from the following outline of cropping 
systems for four sugar-beet districts : 
No. 1.— Rocky Ford. 
No. 2. — Greeley. 
No. 3.— Fort Collins. 
No. 4. — Fort Morgan. 
Alfalfa, 3 to 5 years. 
Cantaloupes, 1 year. 
Beets, 2 years. 
Cucumbers, 1 year. 
Grain, 1 year. 
Alfalfa, 3 to 4 years. 
Potatoes, 1 year. 
Beets, 2 years. 
Beans or peas, 1 year. 
Grain, 1 year. 
Alfalfa, 4 years. 
Grain, 1 year. 
Beets, 3 years. 
Grain, 1 year. 
Alfalfa, 4 years. 
Beets, 3 years. 
Grain, 1 year. 
The rotation given for the Rocky Ford district (No. 1) serves 
merely as a type. Many of the estimates obtained in this district 
did not provide any information on rotations. The form given has 
been adopted on several farms and has proved to be a very satis- 
factory system. The alfalfa is broken out early in the spring, after 
which either cantaloupes or cucumbers are planted. A crop of gram 
sometimes follows the alfalfa. In some cases beets are planted on the 
newly broken alfalfa field. A few men stated that the alfalfa was 
allowed to remain down for an indefinite period, the remaining crops 
being rotated on the land under cultivation. 
In the Greeley area (rotation No. 2) 75 per cent of the reports show 
that potatoes were planted as the first crop immediately after break- 
ing alfalfa. A few men put in potatoes two years on the same land. 
In a few cases peas or beans followed potatoes, then beets were grown 
for one to two years, grain being sown the fourth year after breaking, 
and the field reseeded to alfalfa. Farm practice studies show that 
potatoes serve as a better crop to follow alfalfa than sugar beets. 
The alf alf a roots interfere too much with the early cultivation of the 
latter crop. Approximately 15 per cent of the farms used the sugar 
beet as the first crop after breaking. On some farms grain, cabbage, 
beans, peas, or corn is used to fill this place in the cropping series. 
