Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1908-11-20
CROP ROTATIONS.

Inc pTlHtlpii CioP i" "
Southern States at the present time II
cotton and corn, or corn and cotton,
whichever way one chooses to READ IL.
II is needless to say that this is not an
ideal rotation, and it is highly desirable
that a more practicable and scientific ro-
tation should be followed. In planning a
rotation for the Cotton Belt it is essential
that il should include cotton, the money |
crop. plus feed crops, which are so use
ful and indeed necessary for the South
ern farmer. Another thing to he aimed
at il TO Introduce soil-improving crops,
90 that the land may become better IN
stead of poorer. A wcll-known rotation
which has been in vogue at the Nor'h
Louisiana Experiment Station Tor nlhe-
teen years is a. follows:
ROTATION No. l.
First Year-COttOn.
Second Year-Corn, with peas between.
Third Year-Oats, followed by peas.
An account OF the results OF such ro-
tafion is recorded in the Louisiana Bui-
letin No. Ill, which may be obtained
from the Louisiana Experiment Station
at Baton Rouge In this rotation peas
are planted between the corn rows wheh
the crop is laid by, and they arr also
planted as a crop by themselves follow
inc oats. This makes really five crops
in three wears, of which two crops are
so;l improyers. This rotation provides
corn and oats enough for the farmers
use and crop of peas, which may be
threshed, making both grain and hay.
II the farmer owns threshing machine
or can get the use OF one, he can thresh
the oats. but il he can get no such ma
chine he must either cut them IN the
milk for hay or feed the ripe oats III the
bundle. 4 weak point in this rotation
il the fact that there il nothing occupy
in, the ground during the winter months
except the oats, which occupy it for only
one year out of three. 1t is desirable that
some winter lergIme should occupy the
ground each winter, and this Is easily
accomplished by patting in practice the
following rotation:
ROTATION No. ,.
First Year-Cotton-bm clover sOwed
when cotton is laid by.
Second Eear-June corn-bur clover
volunteers.
This rotation is exactly the same as ro-
tation No. /, except that bur clover oc-
cupies the ground each winter except
wlnn the oats are growing, and even
then bur clover will grow up tn some ex-
tent in combination with the oats. Ii
will h. noticed that in this rotation June
corn j. mentioned. The aim Of this Is to
allow the bur clover to mature and go tn
seed before planting the corn crop, thus
insurinc the growth Of bur clover for one
or two winters following. 1t has been
demonstrated that when full crop of bur
clover is plowed under after the seed are
mature this crop continues to come up
each fall for two or three years following.
Rotation No. > H., therefore, superior tn
rotation No. l, in that the soil Is covered
during each winter and nitrogen as well
a. well as vegetable matter Is furnished
To the soil, thus increasing the yield OF
all crops. 1t also provides great amount
of winter pasture, which is 50 much de-
sirel on every farm. II will be easy tn
modify the last rotation as follows:-
ROTATION No. 5.
This is the same as rotation No. >, ex-
Guiding the oats, thus allowing the bur
clover to occupy the ground every win
ter. Whether this is desirable or not de-
pends upon the character Of the soil. II
the land needs enriching it will be- made
rich faster by rotation No. than by ro-
tation No. 2, because it substitutes Il full
crop Of bur clover for crop OF oats.
While this would mean the losing Of q
crop of oats, yet on poor land 1t would
so enrich the soil that the other crop:
would make up for the loss Of income
from the oats. With the land occupied
every winter by nitrogen-gatherine
crop, such as bur clover, there may be
q possibility of its becoming 80 rich that
it will have q tendency to produce large
stalks at the expense OF fruit. But if in
any given case this should he the tenden-
cy it would he easy to rectify it by going
back to rotation No. >, or by growing q
crop OF German millet or sorghum in
place of peas the third year.
ROTATION No. I.
First Tear-Cotton.
Second Year-Corn.
Third Iear-Oats, followed 10y lespe-
deza.
Fourth Ycar-Iespetlcza.
Rotation No. j. one recommended by
Mr.. Kenneth McKy, of Ethel, La, al
though he prefers to make it iive-year
rotation in which lespedeza occupies the
land the fifth year. This rotation would
mean large amount of hay and this
would Ike good thing. 1t is also ro-
tation which would improve the soil, for
lespedeza is nearly or quite a. good for
this purpose a. cowpeas. II the land is
not sufficiently enriched by two or three
crops of lespedeza in this rotation, then
it would he easy to add bur clover or