Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1910-11-02
ROTATION OF CROPS.
Timely Article Pab1ished !.
The Progressive FARMER
Concerning Proper izo-
tation OF Corps.

L 4
Cotton Belt there VIII be pracii'
|,callv no top crop. Hence il the
supply of labor permits, many 3
field will be cleared OF coFton at ar
early date. This early removal Of
cotton permits greater range OF
choice as to the best crop TO grow
next year where cotton grew this
year.
If we were asked to name what
might be called = standard rotation
for the cotton states it would ieac
like this:
First year, cotton.
Second year, corn with coEpeaS
between the rows.
Third year, oats followed by COW,
peas.
Fourth year, cotton.
This gives half of the land IN
cotton, and is generall,s rFcegnlzst:
as a very practical plan. The chiel
reason why cotton is here followed
by corn lies in the fact that corn is
easily removed, whatever the char
acter of the season, in time for the
planting of fall oats, while cotton
usually occupies the land TOO late
for the best growth of oats.
However. the exceptionally early
date at which many fields this year
will be free of cotton makes it pos
sible to construct rotation just as
good or better than the above by
having oats instead Of corn to fol
low cotton.
AS between the two crops, the adj
vantage Of The small grain lies large
ly in the fact that It requires the
expenditure of less labor Per acre
than does the growth of corn.Hence.
the farmer in locality where laoo1
| is scarce or growing scarce! I'll
year by year substitute sala.s &iatn
for part of his corn. hss by no
means implies that ihe ~, duef'on
of corn will DC nesl, cs,c CT g.
creased. On The uti., lii.!hly tG,
condition just .nss;Gc:.ed o. :
every inducemvnL u make nlaAl
muir yield ot corn or mlnlmlI:Ll 1
amoalf d land.
An addlt'oaai r!i.: ;anLa%t
whicl oaJs hdy . ~ cuin ECO Wiz!
corI, is tie facy liza; a l.. .ssr gfow:i
cf cowpea, is :suaii., .gi:inea b;
sowing ,Aese a..er os-,s ;GaA by
planting tllen i. ,hs cy:m, / e':..s,
this is by no mets.ia a ualyvrs. nlt
Moreover, tac cp,speas va.
grown as the exclusive c:on III
oats, may be mach t.:c,c eeoAotn.
calIy harvested Than t!los. i. 10
corn field.
The point OF this article is not &
imply that an acre Of oats Is bette
than acre of corn, hU5 that ti'os'
farmers who wish 20 increase tli,.i
acreage Of oats have this year a.
unusual opportunity to do 50.
The errcr that too lnany farmer'
will fail into nox' year Hiil be il
planting too large ~ acreage II COS
ton. This viii probably De espec
tally fatal at that u,!n., SINCE N'
may expect u universal as>'empt 4
produce d large cotton crop IL toil
induced by the present high pric,
of the staple. Ii the allcmp' i
successful, there il the prohabsiit,
of lower prices next year titan nos
prevail. Hence, the Mlsest polie'
is slightly to redace the ACREAGE II
cotton and to attclni,t ~ make +.
least the same number of bales bi
} more intensive cultivation ii tit
smaller area. 1t is none too earl.
now to make plans for this reduc
i. tion, the first step in whici con
sists in putting into profitable u.s.
the poorer acres now in cotton
This may we'll be done by sowing
/ them ii oats, to be followed by an.
of the legumes next summer, TO
example, by cowpeas or velve
beans, or soy beans or peanuts.