222 WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY . 
acter, one kind of timber giving place to another, thus gradually 
passing through great cycles of rotation. 
I conceive, however, that our present interest lies in the direc¬ 
tion of a short rotation, returning as frequently as possible to our 
clover, for it is found that clover roots are the very best of clod' 
crushers, keeping the land in good mechanical condition. The- 
shortest one possible which will involve the whole farm and 
allow the growing of a crop of corn, is a three years course—clo¬ 
ver, corn and small grain, reseeding to clover. This, according to 
my experience, furnishes each crop in its order with favorable 
conditions for its growth. 
Corn doing well on clover sod, plowed either in the spring or 
fall, and wheat, oats or barley doing well on corn stubble plowed 
in the fall and sowed early in the spring. It is claimed that 
wheat and clover may alternate with each other and the land be 
improved, but this method will give no place for corn. Can we 
farm successfully without a good corn crop? It is desirable in 
all stock raising and indispensible in any system involving fatten¬ 
ing. In many parts of the east where they cannot afford to raise 
it, they are compelled to purchase it of our western farmers. 
Ought we not to farm in such a manner as to have none to sell 
them ? Exclusive grain production, be it ever so successful, is not a 
high grade of farming. Our annual necessities may compel us to- 
it, but we want to fix our eyes on higher forces and grow into 
them as fast as possible. We will now see what points we can 
make in favor of some proper system of rotation. 
The exclusive pursuit of any specialty in farming, even if it 
be wheat growing, will bring with it evils which can only be cor¬ 
rected by a diversified system. I would instance the chinch bugs, 
which seem to be a scourge intended to whip men into better 
methods. We can only escape their ravages by following some 
system which will introduce unfavorable conditions for their 
propagation. Wheat after wheat, on ground plowed in the spring, 
will be the best conditions possible to encourage them. We must 
plow our ground in the fall, after they have gone into winter- 
quarters. The rains of fall and spring will beat down the ground 
so as to effectually bury multitudes of them. If the surface of 
such ground be stirred just enough to cover the seed, and then. 
