CROPPING SYSTEMS FOR THE BLACK LANDS OF TEXAS. 15 



LEGUMES NOW BEING TESTED. 



In 1009, owdng to the general interest jnaniiested in the establish- 

 ment of better eropping systems, it was determined to find if possible 

 whether or not legumes other than those heretofore tested could be 

 used for the production of hay and green manure in rotation with 

 the crops already established. 



As up to this time Wiiippoorwill cow^ieas were the only crop of this 

 kind that had been tried to any considerable extent, it was thought 

 that possibl}^ some suitable varieties might be found among the many 

 already in use in other sections or among those that had been intro- 

 duced from other countries. To determine this (lucstion, the co- 

 operation of the Office of Forage-Crop Investigations was enlisted, 

 and a test of all available varieties of annual legumes was begun in 

 the spring of 1910. Public-spirited farmers in various parts of the 

 area entered heartily into the scheme and freely gave the use of their 

 land and services to help solve this problem. Seed of about 25 

 varieties was obtained and distributed to 16 farmers to be planted 

 and OTown under the immediate direction of tlie writer. 



From the beginning the farmers maintained an eager interest in 

 the work, and so pleased were they \\ath the results of last season's 

 experiments that they have determined to incorporate some of the 

 most promising varieties into their regular cropping systems. Though 

 none of the legumes proved to be immune to root-rot, some of them 

 were so slightly affected by it that their value for. forage and as soil 

 builders was hardly impaired.^ iVmong these were certain varieties 

 of soy beans and co\vi:»eas. Sweet clover, Florida beggarweed, and 

 guar 2 were also used. (Figs. S, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13.) 



It has been found difficult to obtain a stand of sweet clover in most 

 sections; its introduction should therefore be attended with some 

 caution. Florida beggarweed is a new crop in this region; its intro- 

 duction should also be attended with some caution. 



The results of one season's work are by no means conclusive, but 

 since the tests were made after numy years of observation, study, and 

 experience in growing cowpeas and alfalfa on a black-land farm, 

 enough has been learned to show that under orchnary conditions 

 alfalfa and other legumes may be grown for forage and soil-improve- 

 ment purposes, if they are included in a properly planned rotation. 



The tests will be continued until definite conclusions can be drawn 

 as to which of the newly introduced varieties are the most satisfactory, 

 and the conclusions will be published later by the Office of Forage- 

 Crop Investigations. The results already attained indicate quite con- 



1 A single exception to this statement was on J. M. Campbell's farm near Richardson, Tex., where Iron 

 and Braliham cowpeas and Mammoth soy heans were purposely planted on an old alfalfa meadow which 

 had lieen destroyed by root-rot, the continued presence of the disease in the soil being well kno\ra. By 

 the time the crops were ready to be cut for hay , about half of each variety had been destroyed by the disea.se. 



s The value of this legume is as yet problematical, and further experiments will be necessary to determine 

 its utility as a green manure or forage crop for this region. 

 [Cir. «41 



