erves as a corrective.

5. The keeping of livestock is made more feasible and profitable,
and this leads to increase in farm manures.

6. In a proper succession of crops the soil is covered with living
plants nearly all the time, and thus is prevented from washing or
leaching.

7. In addition to these influences upon soil fertility, crop-rotation
assists in control of insect and fungous foes and of weeds; it
permits such distribution of labor on the farm that the largest
total production may be secured by its employment; and it saves the
farmer from sole dependence upon a single crop.

[Illustration: Penn's Valley, Pennsylvania.]

Selection of Crops.--The natural inclination of the farmer is a
consideration that cannot be ignored. If a man does not like certain
kinds of animals or crops, his farm or market must possess an unusual
advantage to counter-balance. Illustration of this truth may be seen in
every farming community.

As a rule, the crops should be those that are well adapted to the
particular soils upon which they are grown. It is up-hill work to
compete with producers whose soils have far better adaptation, unless
the local markets equalize conditions.

The crops should follow each other in such succession that each crop
naturally paves the way for the next one in the succession, or at least
does not place its successor at a disadvantage.

When it is feasible, a rather large proportion of the entire produce of
the rotation should be feeding-stuff for livestock, as soil fertility
is most easily guarded by livestock farming. This is desirable when
consistent with profit, but, as we have seen, it is not an absolute
essential.

An Old Succession of Crops.--In the corn belt of the northern states
some time-honored crop-rotations have been formed by corn, oats, wheat,
clover, and timothy. The number of years devoted to the grain and to
the sod has varied with the soil and the desire of its owner. A common
succession is corn one year, oats one year, wheat one year, clover and
timothy one year, timothy one year--a five years' rotation that has
much substantial success behind it. Such a rotation is wholly
reasonable and in accord with the nature of things. Every year
furnishes some organic matter for the soil in roots and stubble, and
all the produce of four years out of the five may be fed on the farm.
There is one cash crop, or two if the price of the clear timothy h