The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-07
Crop Rotation Beneficial TO the
south.

Some of the most extensively cultivated
crops of the South have a cash value and
the need of ready money on the farm has
resulted in the farmer losing sight of the
cultivation of certain crops, says the
Tennessee Experiment Station. This fail
ure to employ a systematic rotation has
brought sad havoc on the farm. The con-
tinuous culture of corn and cotton and
the sale of all cotton products has rob
bed the soil of its vast store of fertility
in some instances in less than twenty-five
years The need of a rotation of crops is
nowhere more apparent and it is doubt
full if such a practice would serve more
useful ends anywhere than here in the
South. 1t is the more remarkable that
such a system is not employed because of
che ease with which an effective one can
be established. Every section can boast
of greater or better variety of legu-
minous crops for use as green forage
green manure, hay, etc. The cowpea es-
pecially can be grown in combination with
almost any crop and can be used as a
catch crop after wheat, etc. By It's intro
duction into a rotation the texture of the
soil can be vastly improved. especially II
an occasional crop is plowed under 1t
will also supply large quantities. of nitro
gen, one of the elements in which our
this crop and the necessity of a rotation
are now becoming more and more appar-
ent to the Southern farmer and its gem
eral adaptation viii shortly be a common
practice.
1t has been said that some sections of
the South were not well adapted to the
production of pastures and meadows.
There may be a measure of truth in this
statement. but in view OF the fact that
h., H.. \
but little and indifferent care at best
it is not surprising that in some sections
such sentiment should prevail. Where
attempts to introduce grasses have been
made, those adapted TO the North North
east or TO European conditions have been
the ones principally experimental with
Under the hotter sun of the South with
a summer drought prevailing, these will
not answer the purpose sought on the
other hand little consideration has been
given to the value of Bermuda grass, Tex
as blue grass. Japan clover, some of the
Paspalums, the grama grasses, etc, all
of which have special virtue for the
Southern farm. In addition to this list,
redtop, alfalfa and in some sections red
clover, tail oat grass, etc, may be added
with safety.
Not only has there been failure to ap-
preciate the value of certain varieties OF
grasses, but there nave been no SySte-
matte attempts made to tablish pastures
and meadows. That is the land has not
been carefully subsoiled. thoroughly pre-
pared. well enriched by a green crop,
barnyard manure, etc, or even lime one
of the most beneficial processes on the av-
erage Southern farm. Then, as soon as
the grass showed any considerable growth
after seeding, II has been the practice to
Immediately pasture ii off or even the
first season to cut 1t for hay, leaving the
young and tender crowns exposed to the
hot sun Of a Southern summer The re-
sult has been disastrous as we all know
The idea Of fertllizing pastures. cuti-
va dng them and caring for them in a sys-
tematic manner has been subject en-
tirely foreign to the mind of the farmer
When a study is made of this subject and
the necessity Of systematic culture for
meadows and pastures appreciated there
will be less heard of the difficulties OF
succeeding with this form of farming in
the South.
The common method OF corn and cot
ton culture and the profit that has until
recently marked the culture Of cotton has
been unfortunae for the Southern farmer
IN that he does not now produce enough
OF his living from the soil. In oher
words. he buys 100 much. The perfection
Of economy on the farm must be obtained
by producing all OF the living therefrom.
aud this can practically be accomplished
with the exception Of wearing apparel
coffee and sugar. As the matter now
stands, the Southern farmer buys a large