Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-01-13
SUGGESTIONS
FROM OTHERS
The Importance Of Crop Rotation

he " OFOP nOkdhloUs
Notwithstanding all that has been writ
ten on this subject and in spite of the
fact that nearly every farming commu-
nifty contains some shining examples of
the advantage of rotation, there is still
vast amount of ignorance on this subject.
I have iN mind a gentleman whose farm
is right on the public road and who car
ries on a yearly object lesson in poor
farming. He has grown cotton on the
same land for the past ten years. He
fertilizes It every year, it is true, but in
spite of this he will have to travel over
three acres this year to get bale. This
cotton will cost him, at the least calcula-
ton cents per pound. while the market
at present is only Ia cents. This is what
call growing cotton for accommodation,
and boarding onesself.
There is another gentleman i'm my VI
cinity who carries on systematic rota-
ton and on one field of cotton he will
produce this year a bale and half to the
acre.
| know Of another field which has been
in wheat two years. After the wheat was
off the field grew up in grass and the
owner turned I'm his cows and pastured II
of. He is now planting it i'm wheat again.
This might not have been so bad Ii the
land had been sown in COW peas after the
wheat was off. and the peas we'll fertilized
with pnosphoric acid and potash. The peas
would have then restored to the land the
nitrogen taken off by the wheat and the
fertilizer would have kept up the supply
OF mineral elements. 1t is true he has put
some manure on his wheat. but how much
better 1t would have paid on the peas. And
then besides. he would have had hay
crop worth as much or more than his
wheat.
Speaking OF this matter of applying ma
nure and fertilizer, a gentleman told me
a. III .r.aT, tanf-
ter to fertilize the cow pea crop before
planting wheat and oats than it did to
fertilize the wheat directly. In this way,
he SAID he could reap more than double
reward from his manure or fertilizer. 1t
not only helped to make him fine crop
of peavine hay. but his wheat and oats
were actually better than when fortified
directly. And yet farmers will be stingy
with fertilizer on the COW pea.
Not long ago / took a 15-mile drive
through the country, with a friend. We
had passed several wrecked looking farms
where Ii was a mystery how the owners
were able to live, When we at last came
to a fine farm. There were no breaks in
the terraces and no signs of washing
could be discovered across the well-culti-
waited land, although part of the field
was quite billy. The farm house had been
freshly painted and everything about the
place spoke of thrift and prosperity.
This man, said my companion, rotates
his crop: changes them about from one
field to another He keeps his land grow
ing either a money crop or a renovating
crop all the time, and he is making
success of farming "
In laying our plans for the coming year.
friends. let us not forget this matter OF
crop rotation. Let us see that our stubble
fields are planted in peas next summer
and are well fortified, and let us ar
range our plans so we will have time to
do this work and not allow these fields
TO grow up in weeds. The great trouble
is thai we always have so much to do
i'm June when this work must be done,
that 1t is neglected. That is why We
should begin now to arrange our plans so
we viii have time.
We have found the following a good ro-
tation: The first year, cotton with wheat
sowed between the cotton rows in the
fall and worked in with cultivator. The
second year peas after the wheat, fertil-
lied with 400 pounds per Scre OF a fertil-
izer Analysing 10 per cent phosphoric acid
and 10 per cent potash The third year corn
MANFRED with stable manure, cow peas
being sown between atelast blowing. Corn
followed by oats In the fall. Fourth year,
oats cut i'm June, followed by peas for
hay, fertilized as before. .s
This land will again go into cotton the
next year and has the advantage of be-
ing clear of trash, the old cornstalks be-
ing decayed and everything nice and
smooth. Crimson clover or rye can be
sown on the peavine stubble in the fall as
a cover crop. to be turned under In spring
when preparing for corn or cotton. In
fact, one of our neighbors cut fine crop
of green rye last spring from a piece of
rich land; he then plowed the land,
planted it I'm cotton in May and has made
a bale to the acre. .r...,
Profitable farming cannot be carried on
without a good rotation. 1t keeps the land
i'm good physical condition, prevents its
washing and makes it yearly richer than
II was before We must improve our land
if we nope to increase our crops.
+. j. MERRIAM. .
Battle HILL Ga.