OCR Text |
Show l,JMM,Kv1f(iq 1 189 birr1 IILII I ul OIL nAnnlo BBB Arguing for the conservation of BR soil fortuity, especially that of newly H broken lands, Director V. S. Harris BBB iof Utu experiment station of the Utah BBB Agricultural college declares that H aiuch land fertility Is lost during the BBV flfnt few seasons the land is In uso BBV Ji'.'caulo no intelligent system of crop BBY .Tofation is introduced. RB "Land recently brought under cul- BBY flinitlan from Its virgin state Is usu- BBS ,Ily rertlle, and as a result very little BBpj ' rtltrntlon is given to conserving soil BBJ t fertility In new countries," says Dr. BBlJ BarrK "After the land has been BBpj (RilUvated a number of years and Its BBpj productivity begins to decline, mora BBS .-attention is given to proper methods BBS ! handling it. At first no systom of BBV ecropplng is followed -and hut little BBpj uulcmpt is made to savo the farm ina- BBpj nnre; later all fertilizing materials BBpj rcre saved and crops arc rotated In BBpj tbu manner that will givo tho highest BBpj return. In tho west agrlculturo Is BBpj jinrt reaching the stago where farm- BBpJ ft uts find It necessary to reviso the BBpj old slip-shod methods of cropping and Bjpjl jwfopt detlnito rotations based on Bjpjg nrientiflc principles. BjpV "Irrigated land offers splendid op- Bjpja jyortunttles for good rotations slnco Bjpfl no many crops can bo produced, and Bjpjl de Intensive metliods, which accom- BjpBj Voy irrigation, are particularly fav- BjpH ctrablo to rotations, We should ox- Bjpja Tpoct. therefore, to sec during the next Bjpjg .feneration very satisfactory systems BjpjV or crapping In operation on the irri- BBpBr sated farms of the west. BjpjB "It Is probable that In many ills- BjpjB ricts alfalfa will bo the foundation BjpBj ' f most rotations This crop re- Bjpja qnlret very llttlo work, which makes BjpjV H fit In well with such crops as corn, Bjpjl potatoes, sugar beets, and other cul- BjpjB Jirateil crops. Alfalfa also furnishes BjpjB means of enriching tho soil, pro- BjpjB fded a crop Is plowed under. Many BjpjB formers labor under the impression Bjpjp. Jat the mere growing of alfalfa on BJpjB Wtc land for a long tlmo without BBH nJowing any of It under will fertll- Bftpipj fee the soil, this Is a mistake. Alf- Bjpjpj sifa uses plant food the same as any Bjpjpj other crop. It does, however, gather BjpBj aritrogen from the air and storo It in Bjpjpj Ue crop, but if the grop Is hauled Bjpjpj away the nitrogen is taken also. Bjpjpj 'With the return to tho land of the BPB noanure resulting from feeding nlf- Bjpjpj afa, considerable fertility is brought PBH Knack; hut In addition to this It Is a Bjpjpj Xrod plan to plow under a full crop Bjpjpj C alfalfa before putting In the next Bjpjpj tzrop In tho rotation. A good manur- BBB iwg combined with tho plowing under Bjpjpj T a crop puts the land in first class Bjpjpj mtitton for the crop that follows. Bjpjpj f Tsually a cultivated crop should fol- BjpjpJ 'tow alfalfa or any sod that Is plowed BPPJ vender This gives an opportunity to Bjpjpj Hill the sod plants and assists the BBBB1 organic matter to become thoroughly Incorporated into the soil. Whero corn Is raised It makes almost an Ideal crop to follow alfalfa; In fact, corn almost alwas follows the sod-producing sod-producing crop In the rotation. Potatoes Po-tatoes also moko a good crop to follow fol-low alfalfa, and when a pieco of alfalfa alf-alfa Is plowed under part could bo planted to corn and part to potatoes, the amount of each depending on the relative profitableness of tho crops. "If sugar beets aro to bo included in tho rotation they can follow corn or potatoes to good advantage nnd can usually bo raised two years on the samo land with profit. Tho beets can bo followed by a year of beans, peas, or grain, after uhlch tho laud can bo put back Into alfalfa with a grain nurso crop. "If a farmer has 100 acres of land, tho rotation could bo worked out as follows: 50 acres In alfalfa which would remain on tho land five years. Ton acres of the alfalfa would bo broken up each year and 10 acrps planted. When tho alfalfa Is plowod up, a crop of hay can bo turned under to advantage. The ten acres that aro broken would bo planted In corn or potatoes, or a part to each. Tho next two years beets would bo on this 10 acres, followed by beans, peas, or grain. Tho last year of tho rotation would bo devoted to grain with now alfalfa. "This would give on a 100-acro farm 50 acres of alfalfa, 10 acres of corn and potatoes together, 20 acres of beets, 10 acres of beans, peas or grain, and 10 acres with new alfalfa. Although this rotation has a number of weaknesses, It also has many strong points, and, If practiced In connection con-nection with a liberal uso of farm manuro wilt keep tho land In good condition for each crop. It also Insures In-sures an even distribution and Income. In-come. "No one system of rotation is adapted to all farms since tho soil, markets, climate, and othor factors are so variable. Each farmer should study his own conditions and try to get a rotation adapted to them. It 1b Important that tho Bubject bo given attention and somo system planned." |