The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1921-12-15
SYSTEMATIC SOIL BUILDING
Crop Rotation, Legumee, Drainage,
,.4# and Fertilizers important
~ Features.

ue OF Il welldrained, fertile soil can
not be over estimated in fighting .he
boil wcevl. In the first place, !, well.
drained soil is absolutely necessary TO
success, as cotton will not make an
early growth on / cold wet soil in
the second place, it has not been
fonhd profitable 10 raise cotton on
poor land under boll weevil rond..
, tlohs, because the overhead expenses
! are so great that it makes the cosi OF
production very high per pound Of
F.! cotton
some practices which have been
: found extremely important in supl!y.
Z ing and maintaining the fertility uf
the soil are suggested below.
Crop Rotation.----lt has been fourd
! that the fertility nf the soil MAY ir
maintained more easily and more &c.
onomicany by systematic crup ru.
t"tloh than Ii can be done without II
rotation. The value of crop rotation
IN Keeping ur the fertility Of our lan,i
can not he orer.e:$timated
fEe Clemson College Hgronomi,:s
nave worked on; good rotations Tor
various phases OF farming in the dir.
feren sections of the state and will
iladly iurnsh them upon request
Summer legumes.--It is rcvom.
mendcd that summer legumes, he
planted cverywh"r%. possible. ana ,h;t
n! such lesumeS as are not nr,t.d
for feed for livestock he rluwed un,; =
for soil Improvement This will ~.
d,rc the fertilizer hill very ma,crin!!v = !
and al the same tim" will add ma, Ii (
valuable organic matter 10 our soils
III :. recent experiment c0HdUcted .
by Clemson College at Allendulc. =. C.,
where corn fo!.,wcd cotton. a WELD OF /
H. bushels was secured wilhuu, the
use OF nitroaenou> fertilizer. Where
corn followed Il crop Of velvet beans,
the same plo, gave 81 bushels. show.
ing that the velvet beans supplied
practically al the nitrogen required
IN the production OF a good crop of
corn on Il poor sandy loan soil.
Winter Cover Crops.-lt is also i'm.
portan To plant winter cover crops
on all land not otherwise occupied. rs
these not only help to preserve the
| fertility oi the land and prevent wash.
ing and teaching. but are also valu.
able because the boil wetvil can not
! live through the winter in IL green
| cover crop. Since he is unable to eva.
| rorate sufficient moisture from his
| body to enable him to stand the win.
| ter.
Drainage and TeTracinc.-lt is i'm.
possible to raise cotton satisfactorily
on land that is poorly drained and ii
is impossihle to huild up the fertility
or land that is no, properly terrnced
Therefore, good drainage and proper
terracng are primarily essential tn
successful crop production under boil
weeril conditions. ---ss,...'--~~r.--
Lime Where Needed.-Thc use ut
lime is recommended whore Il rou,!
system OF crop rotation is being fol.
lowed ana where green manure crops;
and winter cover crops are being,
) grown and plowrd under 10 incrrns Sc
The organic matter in the soil. Lime
will not be profitable 10 apply 10
corn, cotton. or small grains except
under the conditions given above
Livestock Manures and Commercial
; Fertilizers. Commercial fertilizers
should he used iudiciouS!y. and all
the harnyard manure possible shu,,lt
he applied TO our farming land IN
der boil wcevil conditions il has
h';tIl ibuiI'l lHil nt 'ntlItSl tfDl
(Which under boil wrevil conditions
is the best CROP Is secured from prom
!, erly balanced fertilizer Il is mpor
iant To have enough of ZACH element
in The soil Ia supply the need, uf iit
crop. and yet il is not wise to r:iy.
TOO much OF any one element Tor N.i,
: viii delay the maturity of tn" crop.
especially is this true of n;iro",'r :i.t
potash. Many experiments have shown
,hat Il it'll" nitrogen gives 4 lutr
crop. Il has also h"en found that To.
It'll" potash is likely to result in dam
age from rust and too n,lch potash
is likely TO delay the maturity - i'.u
crop.
The Extension Scrvic" Hni ;hr
South Carolina f.XDcrim"n, STATION
have issued from time tn Tim" various
publications. that will help farmers
build better soils. One nf The most
. impurtant or these is tx enSiun Bul-
tetin 4$ ''t'arluin. under Poll Wrrvil
C0ndtuns." which can b- secured
, free from county agents or from she
, Extension Service. Clemson COLLEGE,
s. G,
, COOPERATION IN THE PROoUc-
TON STANDARDIZATION, AND
MARKETING OF FARM prod
UCTS.