The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1895-11-29
ROTATION OF CROPS.
ADVANTAGES OF THE SYSTEM
IN COTTON CULTURE.
Valuable Suggestions for Southern
Farmers by Professor Massey,
of the North Carolina tx
pertinent Station.
TT has been said that the nature of


ers in sections where the money crops
are grain and stock. The utter
fallacy of the notion that this can be
the case with any annual crop has
been repeatedly shown from the e1-
perience of those who have broken
away from tine Old time methods os
cotton growing, and have shown that
cotton fits rs we'll into an improving
rotation ot crops as any other of our
hoed crops. 1t is true thas its use in
rotation EeceSsltases n rather longer
rotation than where there is bit one
hoed crop in the rotation, for 7hers
cotton is grown there corn must al
ways OF necessity be grown . SO, and
TO properly locate two hoed crops in
rotation, so that both can have a
fair chance Tor success, involves a
lengthening of the series of crops.
This IS matter ot no disadvantage,
however, MS it gives more diversity TO
the farming, AMI opens up more op-
portunities for the profitable keeping
of stock on the cotton farm. We
wou!d lay it down as u rule that no
progressive farmer III the South should
disregard, that two clean cultivated
crops should never follow each
other in successive seasons on the
same land. upicss lecuminous
crop can he cotton in betweer tb,,p
We will supnose TINT the farmer in
the coast plaip. the true cotton balt
will adopt for his crops cotton, corn
and winter oats. Now, the true idea
IN q rotation oE crops is to so manage
lis rotation arI fertilization ns t. ct
the LARGEST ,ro,ur. or ~. moror crn,,
cottnn nor ncr, v.hila sta,,I;',. ~.
crsasir " TN, c,r,i!;tv Of his .,;, II.
will s!ulv H.. mr., az rjnr t.~tn.
,zers so tiI4t i've c,n ..,. Inv ,nno,, os
the rotation lie usns. no, ONLY without
cost. bit NJ mn actual prn.it, the most
esprnsirp ,,n~,;,.; nYa E;,-I, rraln f,r.
tiily,r. thn n.,r, .,,,. ,.,.ch wbrn
purchased n f.. ,ln-,;n. COTS more
tnun three .i,.cs Fer ,io,;Yl what abe
potash aud rhosphorlc acid cost. IF
ne farms without such n well.,,eyised
rotation, in tho oil one croo n,nn. hs
must buv the nitrogen, and must thus
be hanliclDDed in GROWING cotton in
competition with a rciGhbor. who
farms while he nlauts. with the nddel
cost in the crop os the NITROGEN his
neirhhor makes a proft IN ~ct-;nc
from the air while he nays heavy
price for it on the market II is aasv
to see then that while his neiphbor
nav find a margin OF profit in the COT
ton crop, he may at the same price
lose money in the culture, ari not
only lose money on the crop, but find
that his land is growing poorer and
poorer ut the same time. And thi, is
to day the condition o. the great mass
OF cotton growers os the South At
lan.ic cotton country. Now let us
assume that the farmer Is going to Get
out Of this destructive system. or rath-
er lack OF any system, and that he
is going to grow sonethin. else be.
sides cotton Aud he is not Going to
do this because of some misty notion
that he has that be should diversity
his crops, and grow some other thing
besides cotton, Just in the same way
that he has been erowinc cotton, but
that he has determined to use these
other crops as means towards
tho Development of his land for the
more profitable culture of cotton. He
is rot goinG to grow II lot OF corn
this year 50 rs to be able to say that
he has grown enough to last for sew.
era! years while he grows cotton, but
he is going 70 use these extra crops a,
any business man would use the stoc.z
he has tor salc-to help pay his ex.
penscs. de will get ril forever 0.
the idea that his cotton is the oulv
tbirp RI ,rpt n,ocar ont ,f brt ,r;lI