The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-09-20

If nothing is taken off the land ex-
cept the cotton lint and one-half OF
the corn, all the rest either being
turned into the soil, including the cot
ton seed, or fed to animals and the
manure taken care of and returned "a
.e sOil,. Prof. Goodrich figures at the
end Of the three years, that there
would be gain of two pounds of
nitrogen a loss of 16 pounds of phos-
phOric acid and % pounds of potash.
This does not account for any teaching
or identification or the converting of
potash or phosphoric acid into un-
available forms Neither did he take
into consideration the peas in the
corn nor the cover crops.
Subjugattc Insects.
This three-year rotation would keep
in subjugation the root louse bill bug
bud worm, and other injurious in
sects. A good crop of wilt resistant
cotton could be grown every third
year on badly infested wilt lands. The
clean cultivated crops of corn and
cotton with peavines following oats,
would keep down the obnoxious weeds
and grasses.
The two crops of peas and other
legumes in three years would bring
up through their deep root systems
plant food and through their decay
leave it in the surface soil for the
cotton and corn. Cotton being a
weak feeder on phosphoric acid it is
necessary to apply an abundance in
available form for it's use. The corn
being stronger feeder than the'cot- :
ton would need very little applied and
the oats would get a very good growth
from what was left by the corn. The
peas will take care Of themselves in
almost any kind of sweetened soil,
The turning under of the corn stalks,
peavines, the oat stubble, the peas and
the cotton stalks and the cover crops
would so change the color Of the soil
that it would be much warmer. The
darker the color the more sun light
will be absorbed. and this will aid
the growing plants in early spring.
Under this system the farm animals
would be supplied with corn and oats
for grain and with oat and peavine
hay for forage.
Labor.
! An abundance Of labor would be
scattered very nearly over the whole
year, except the month Of August.
There would be three seasons during
become congested. During Septem-
ber, October and November the cot
ton is to be gathered, the peas picked,
the hay moved, the corn broken in,
the oats or wheat sowed and the cover
crops to be planted and the fall plow-
ing to be done.
During February, March and April,
the cover crops are to be disced
and broken, the fertilizer to be put in
and the crops of corn and cotton to
be planted. During the months of
June and July the crops of corn and
cotton are to be cultivated, the grain
to be gathered, the peas to be sowed
and the top dressing with fertilizers
to be made. This leaves the months
of August, December, January and
May in which a farmer has time to
get long breath. May is not a leis-
ure month by any means. August
can be devoted to building and repair
ing farm buildings and fences; De-
cember and January to breaking the
pea stubble and cotton land, not sown
to cover crops, hauling and mixing
fertilizers, the killing of hogs, feed
ing cattle, hauling litter, spreading
manure and cleaning up ditch banks
and hedge rows. find plenty OF
labor on my farm the year round
for all of the hands that it takes to
produce and gather the cotton crop.
The happiest people are the busiest
people. Concerning the desira bility Of
continuous employment for farm
labor, Roberts speaks as follows,
when writing Of rotations: 'The bale
full results OF raising single or few
products in extended districts may
be seen in California and the great
wheat districts Of the Northwest. In
such localities there is little or no
true home life with it's duties and re-
straints, men and boys are herded to-
gether with cattle, sheep whore they
may and subsst as best they can.
The work is hard and frUn, sun to
sun for two or three months. When
it abruptly ceases the workmen
are left to find employment as best
they may or adopt the life and habits
of tho profeSsiOpnl trnpn II ;c AIN