Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-04-12
TURNING UNDER RYE FOR COTTON.

H T. s, Madison. Ca. writes: Last
November / seeded rye on about 20
acres in between the cotton for the pur-
nose OF turning the same under in the
spring for green manure. and planting
the land in cotton Many Of my
friends say that this will sour and ruin
the land. and before turning IL under
would like your advice in the matter.
VIII IL do TO plant this land to cotton
a few DAYS after turning under the rye?
The land has had stable manure broad
casted on il this year and last year at
the rate OF I'VE tons per acre What
do YOU think OF 500 pounds OF 9-5-5
guano for my cotton this year?
There is no objection TO turning rye
under for cotton. provided you can get
the work accomplished early enough in
the season 20 prepare a proper seed bed
Rye, as you know, grows very vigorous
In when IL makes a start in the spring.
II is one OF those crops which has TO be
turned under Just at the right time or
else il develops beyond the best stage
for turning under. and naturally ex-
hausts the water from the soil, leaving
IL in a rather hard and unsatisfactory
condition for a succeeding crop. Our
exnerience would lead US TO believe that
IL would ordinarily be better to follow
rye with a crop for hay. such as cow
peas or soy beans At the same time
we have been able TO pfow under small
areas OF rye and prepare the land sat
fsfactorily for a crop Of cotton. Your
success in blowing under the rye will
be determined more by seasonal condi-
lions and getting il under At the right
time more than anything else II the
rye is turned under at this season OF
the year and the land is Immediately
disked and narrowed so as TO pulver-
fza and comuact IL so as to restore the
capfllary movement OF the water TO the
surface OF the ground and develop
friable seed bed. rye may De turned
under safely for cotton. Whether you
can accomplish these things or not oe-
nends much on the management and on
local conditions. Personally, We would
not be afraid TO attack the problem II
the work were done Immediately, and
weather conditions are at all favorable
Remember that rolling the land ana
working down a fine seed bed, bringing
the moisture to the surface, and getting
the rye turned under before il has had
an opportunity TO exhaust all the mois-
ttIre from the soil constitute the kernel
OF your problem
Rive turned under at this season OF
the wear and properly treated will not
lands are quite sour now. No doubt
they would be immensely benefited by
applications OF lime a few expert
rnents In this direction show this def-
nfteIv. and it is doubtful if turning
green crop under in any condition into
the soil sours il 10 the extent some
people imagine A failure TO turn
crop under properly and get the mois-
ture back to the surface, and prepare
friabIe seed bed has undoubtedly done
much more damage than the actual
scfdftv conveyed to the land by turning
under a green crop 1t should be borne
in mind, however, that a green crop
NAV sour land, and that II should De
turned under with proper precauuon.
For instance. a crop OF cowpeas should
not be turned under when at the height
OF its growing condition. but when
mart OF the moisture has been eVapor-
ated as viii be the case when II Is
ready 10 make into hay II you have
any manure to use this year you viii
probably find IL well TO put il under the
drill row say at the rate OF I'VE tons
per acre. An application OF 500 to 500
pounds of q 9-4-5 guanO would, IN our
judgment. be about right for cotton