The Bulletin. 65 



Allowing the yields and values per acre of the respective crops to remain 

 in years to come the same as in the past, let us see how the earning of the 

 farm is affected: 



Cotton, 12 acres, @ $26.40 $ 316.80 



Corn, 12 acres, @ $12.00 144.00 



Small grain — 



10 acres in wheat, @ $9.00 per acre 90.00 



2 acres in oats, @ $6.00 per acre 12.00 



Pea Hay, 12 acres, @ $20 per acre 240.00 



Grass Hay, 10 acres, @ $23.38 per acre 233.80 



Total, 46 acres crops value $1,036.60 



These figures are based on the supposition that the change in system would 

 not tend to increase yield per acre of any of the crops now grown. This 

 assumption is not entirely correct, as it is well known that a change from 

 one-horse to two-horse farming, especially when accompanied by more liberal 

 use of cow peas and other legumes in the rotation, is followed by increased 

 yields from each and every crop grown. Increased yields with prices re- 

 maining stationary means increased income for the farm. 



Under the system proposed the corn yields should average double what 

 they are under the present. Cotton should be influenced in a like manner. 

 Small grain yields should be increased from 50 to 100 per cent. Hay should 

 make a very material increase. 



After the proposed system has been in operation for a period of five years, 

 the better farms of the two-horse or 50-acre class should show incomes of 

 from $750 to $1,000 after all expenses are paid. 



To some it may seem that there is too much land devoted to cotton for 

 the amount of labor available at chopping and picking times. If conditions 

 are not favorable to this portion of the land in cotton, it may be reduced 

 without materially affecting the income, provided the right crops are sub- 

 stituted. The avera^'e acre of cotton under prevailing conditions is worth 

 $26.40, while an acre of hay is worth $23.38. If half the cotton land be 

 planted to hay crops of only average value, the farm income suffers a reduc- 

 tion of $18.12. The saving in labor and fertilizer would in all probability 

 overbalance the difference in the value of the cotton dropped and the hay 

 added to the cropping system. 



Unless . the yields of small grain and corn increase very materially, their 

 acreage should not be increased, and it may be advisable to quit growing 

 wheat and oats for grain, but to handle these as cereal hay crops. In either 

 case every acre growing the wheat, oats or other small grain as a hay or 

 grain crop should be planted to peas or other summer growing legumes as 

 soon as possible after grain or cereal hay crops have been harvested. The 

 summer grown crop of peas or other legumes may be harvested for hay, or 

 if soil conditions and the needs of the farm are such as to justify they may 

 be plowed under and thereby increase the yields of other crops in the 

 pasture. 



The secret of success lies in keeping all the tillable land busy in growing 

 valuable crops and to have enough tillable land to give the teams profitable 

 employment as many days as possible during the year. The cropping sys- 

 tem should be such as to keep the available labor employed on profitable 

 enterprises during as many months in the year as possible. 



