56 



The Bulletin 



important soil-types not only of Gaston County, but of the whole Pied- 

 mont Section of the State. This soil is commonly known as "gray 

 land." 



The experiments were started on this field in the spring of 1910 on 

 plats of the same size and dimensions as those of Charlotte field No. 2. 

 The rotation that has been adopted is as follows : 



First Year — Corn, with cowpeas. 



Second Year — Wheat, with cowpeas and rye. 



Third Year — Cotton, witli crimson clover. 



In the rotation the cowpeas, rye and crimson clover were not harvested 

 but were plowed into the soil for improvement of it. The cowpeas in 



1 



Fig. V. W'heat on Plats 9 (NK) and 10 (NPK) at the Gastonia Field in 1911. Note the 

 greater height and rankness of growth on Plat 10, resulting from the addition of 

 nitrogen to the PK application. 



the first year of the rotation were sown broadcast in the com at the 

 last cultivation. While those grown during the second year were put 

 in broadcast after the wheat had been removed and the land had been 

 broken and fitted in proper shape for the seeding. Rye during the 

 fall of 1911 was seeded broadcast on the plats after the cowpea vines 

 had been turned and the land fitted for the seeding. Although the rye 

 went in rather late, yet a fairly good stand was secured and the rye 

 made a fairly satisfactory growth on all the plats, particularly so on 

 those to which a carrier of phosphoric acid was added. Decidedly the 

 best growth was made on plats 11, 10, 9, 6, and 4 in about the order 

 given. 



