FARM CROPS. Definition.— Broadly speaking, the term farm crops may be applied collectively to any plant grown in appreciable quantity on farms. Commonly, and for practi cal purposes, however, it is understood to ex clude the products of specialized lines of agri culture, such as fruits, vegetables and flowers (which come within the field of HORTICUL TURE), timber products (discussed under FOR ESTRY), etc. Farm crops are, therefore, spe cifically crops grown in fields (as distinguished from enclosed spaces, such as gardens and or chards) on a sufficiently large scale to ren der them essential features of the operation of the farm as a business enterprise.
Every farm crop is grown for one or more of four main purposes. These are: (1) To be sold off the farm for cash or ex changed for some other valuable commodity; (2) to be consumed on the farm by the farmer and his household; (3) to be fed on the farm to livestock; (4) to be worked into the soil to improve its condition; that is, to supplement the manure supply.
While these ends are quite separate and dis tinct, any particular crop may serve different purposes under differing circumstances; or dif ferent parts of it may be utilized in different directions at the same time, or in the same sea son. For example, oats may be grown for its grain, or as a hay crop; cowpeas may be al lowed to mature seed, they may be cut and cured as hay, or they may be planted solely as a °cover crop" to keep the ground clear of weeds until they are plowed under to supply *green manure." To a certain extent any harvested crop that leaves a stubble behind to rot and en rich the soil is in part a source of plant food; a green manure crop has, however, no other reason for existing.
In the case of corn, the grain may represent either a money crop, human food for home con sumption or feed for domestic animals. In either case the cured stalks become *roughage or *fodder" for cattle and horses. On the other hand, the whole plant may be harvested when partly mature and preserved as silage a succulent, slightly fermented, shredded rough age — or again it may be cut whileyoung, be fore ears or tassels have developed, and fed green to eke out a shortage of pasture grasses.
Still another example, involving a rather specialized farm activity as a side issue of the main enterprise is presented by the practice of farmers in favored localities who grow con siderable acreages of grass and clover (gen erally regarded as hay and pasture plants only) solely for the production of seed, which some times proves one of the most profitable cash crops of the entire farm business.
The relations between the first two uses namely, sale for cash and home consumption have undergone considerable change during the last half century. Originally the farm was practically a self-contained, self-supporting unit. Everything grown on it was used there as food, clothing, shelter or fuel, and but few ne cessities were obtained elsewhere. Gradually, with the specialization of industry, the increase of manufactures, the improvement of transpor tation facilities and the increased dependence of different groups of the population, one upon another, the farmer came to buy more of his essentials from those who could make them faster, better and more cheaply than he; to sell more of his surplus products in order to get money wherewith to do this; and consequently, to raise larger acreages of a few crops that brought him the largest net profit and that were especially well adapted to his locality. Thus have grown up the special lines of farming such as wheat-raising, potato-growing, cotton-grow ing, etc., that have become associated with par ticular localities. It should be noted, however, that under certain conditions farmers may tend to revert toward the former system of raising more of their own foodstuffs, as for instance when high prices or transportation difficulties make them difficult to obtain. Such a ency has been observed as the result of food shortages caused by the European War.