Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1897-02-12
FARMER ANDPLANTER.
ROTATION OF CROPS.
To Find that Which ID Best the Farmer
Must study His Soil.

Latin word, rota, meaning wheel.
Now, in our minds the idea of turning
is inseparably connected with the word
wheel. What Is wheel good for II
not for turning? Therefore in select
ing system of rotation we must Sc
lect one that easily turns. But any
novice in farming knows how difficult
1t is to select system of rotation, the
crops in which will suit every kind of
soil. For instance, in the system Of
planting cotton after oats, the oats
will grow readily on damp bottoms
that will not make cotton ptofitably.
BY little study and some "contriv-
ance' these difficulties may be largely
overcome.
Recurring to the figure of therwheel,
let your farm be represented by n
wheel in horizontal position) the hub
resting on the ground. One-third of
tho area covered by this wheel should
be labeled oats, wheat and rye, one
third corn and one-third cotton. The
wheel should be given one horizontal
turn each year SO that the part marked
oats, wheat and rye should move over
and rest on the corn area of the year
previous this would piece the corn af.
ter cotton, cotton after small grain.
After trying several systems we have
settled upon this as the best. OF
course other considerations may arise
to make 1t advisable to change, but
we would advise sticking to it as
nearly as possibly. This system of
rotation comes pretty near to putting
into practice the following deep or
rooted crops with those which feed on
the surface, and vice versa. believe
in following science as nearly as pos
sible; it may not be convenient to fol.
low her teachings always. Ono should
let common sense" direct the applica-
ton of science to farming. We think
this method of rotation can be shown
to be common sense one us we'll as a
scientific one. 1t should be the object
of the farmer, first, to live at home;
second, to improve his land. This sys-
tenn of rotation meets both Of these re-
quirements. With two-thirds of your
land planted in provision crops you
will have an abundance for man and
beast.
Another advantage is that you can
not get your land in condition to plant
without thoroughly preparing it. l
know that it is little extra work to
'run off" rows for your crops every
year, but the writer's experience is
that every furrow run inthe prepare.
ton Of land is more than paid back in
the ease with which the crop is Guilt
waited.
Suppose we study the method of
preparation, cultivation, etc, of each
crop in order of rotation, beginning in
the cotton field which we wish to pre-
pare for corn:
The cotton stalks should be cut as
early In the winter as possible. !
know they are green, tough and hard
to cut, but by using good one-row
cutter they can be cut into four-inch
lengths and PINNED in the ground.
Have the stalk roots ripped up with a
turn pillow, removing the wing; use
two good horses and let the pillow &C
in to the beam. There are several ad
vantages in this plan of getting rid Of
the stalks. First, the pillow runs easy
one hand and two horses, will do almost
the work of two hands and two horses
Second, the roots are thoroughly up
rooted; third, a deep furrow, reaching
In some instances to the subsoil, i,
made, thus making way for the heavy
rains of winter to soak in instead o.
running off and carrying with then
much of the soil which has been sub
jected to summers clean cultivation
On upland the ground may now b.
broken up broadcast, running across
the cotton rows. Harrow well will
some good harrow, run off rows 81,
feet apart with an 11-inch shovel ant
plant in the bottom of the furrow
covering with double-footed shovel
The best thing to cover corn with is
good guano distributor with the hop
per taken off. by judicious use o
the wheel in front you can set you
pillow SO as not to cover the grain to-
deep. Cover as shallow as you can
warmth and not moisture Is what W
need in the spring. The first plowin
may be done with an iron tooth hai
row running directly across the rows
After this cultivate shallow with OF
panding cultivators or wide sweep.
The second week in June plant peas i
the middles, upen the furrow with
four-inch shovel, dropping the pea
ten to fifteen in n hill, two and one
half feet apart, cover with an expant
ing cultivator, opened SO as to stir tn
ground in foot or less of the corr
Then let your corn alone, and you
peas, too; 1t is usually the last pillow
ing that ruins corn.
BY planting corn thus after cottor
where the land is in good condition,
rood crop may be made without an
manure. But from 100 to $50 pound
of ammoniated guano to the acr,
dropped near the grain when plan
Ing, starts 1t off nicely, and $50 pound
of cotton-seed meal, applied at the fir.
blowing, keeps it going gloriously.
pays to strip fodder when you sell
the next summer for cash whe
money Is scarce. We usually fee
on hay, and have never failed to rea
ize so cents per 100 for fodder. How
ever, do not try to save all the foddt
Mt the expense of the corn; let the eal
mature even though some Of the DO
tom leaves "burn up" Corn should |
harvested as soon as dry; little sa
should be sprinkled on each load
prevent weevils. We next begin
prepare the corn field for cotton.
The cornstalks should be cut ar
housed for use as slower. The row
should be run off with small show
!. from three to four feet wide accor
ing to the fertility of the soil. BE
up with four burrows with a good tuI
plow; this should be done as early
| x>Aaesh1a II. H. E,.t.