The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-04

ROTATIONS. GOOD FOR WHEAT

Whether eastern and southern farmers can return their allotment of the billon- bushel wheat crop next year will depend in large part on how they arrange their crop rotations-how they select fields for planting to wheat this fall. In special publications soon to be issued, wheat specialists of the United States depart ment of agriculture will call attention to the importance of rotations in the great CT wheat production plan.
 Mention crop rotations to a farmer who does not practice them systematically and he is likely to get the impression that such a system of farming is rather all unnecessary. complicated round. And yet, once understood, no theory of farm ing is simpler more logical or more necessary, the specialists point out.
 What happens when land is cropped continuously to wheat is depletion of soil fertility, a deterioration in the phys ical condition of the soil. accumula tion of plant diseases in the soil, increased growth of weeds, mixtures of varieties and lowering yields of poorer quality. Even if soil fertility and a fairly good physical condition of the soil are main tained by the addition of chemicals con tinuous cropping is not advisable on ac- count of it's cost and the further reasons mentioned
 A simple rotation for successful wheat production in the eastern states should include a legume such as clover, cow peas or soy beans, and cultivated crop. Legume crops are used in rota- tions because they gather nitrogen in the air and store it in the soil and also because they help maintain the supply of humus. The clovers and vetch in the northern states and cowpeas, soy beans velvet beans, vetch and crimson clover in the southern states are the principal legumes which may be used for this pur- pose. Vetch usually is grown with rye in the east and south. In many of the humid areas rotations in which corn, tobacco. cowpeas or soy beans precede wheat are practicable
 A good rotation especially for the northern part of the eastern wheat region is corn, oats, wheat, clover and timothy. This may be modified by the omission or oats or timothy or both Cowpeas or soy beans may be substituted very profitably for oats in many localities where oats do not pay, or wheat may be grown twice in succession. Tobacco may be substituted for oats in tobacco growing localities and barley may be used as substitute in other places. It ls peing recognized, specialists declare, that wheat after cowpeas or soy beans is more profitable than after corn: hence rotation of corn, cowpeas or soy beans. wheat and clover, is advisable where these legumes are adopted
 on soils suitable for wheat in the northern part of the cotton belt this TO- tation is suggested: Cotton, with crim son clover sown at the last cultivation and plowed under the following spring. rms IS followed by corn. with cowpeas sown between the rows at the last cuI fIVQfinn
 lowed by cowpeas, which in turn are followed by rye for cover and green ma nure. The cowpeas following the wheat crop may be cut for hay or they may be disked in or plowed under as green manure
 Wheat should be grown only in rota- ton with legumes and cultivated crops in the southern states. Local conditions should determine the rotation and the particular crop to be used. Wherever possible wheat should follow some Iegume crop. such as cowpeas or soy beans, as better yields are obtained after these crops than after corn.
 In the southern part of the cotton belt where the boll weevil Is. a serious nest the following rotation Is giving good re- suits:
 First Year-Cotton. The cotton stalks plowed under early and wheat sown.
 Second Year-Wheat, followed by cow peas or soy beans to be cut for hay.
 Third Year-Corn and velvet beans Beans and cornstalks pastured and snfned under in early spring for cotton.
 Good farm practice under boil weevil coalitions requires that the cotton stalks Ss plowed under as soon as the boIls arc an open and picked, care being taken to cover the stalks completely in order