10 The Bulletin. 



Third year: Corn. 



Tkis gives a three-year rotation, with corn following clover and 

 wheat corn, which fit into each other nicely. In the Piedmont and 

 Eastern sections of the State a shorter rotation of wheat, followed by 

 peas to be cut for hay or left on the ground and turned under for 

 soil improvement in the fall or winter for the first year, and corn 

 the second year, to be followed again by wheat or other small grain, 

 gives an excellent two-year rotation, which, with proper fertilization, 

 would improve the soil and the crop yields at the same time. Cotton 

 may be added to this rotation where the land is suitable, allowing the 

 cotton to follow wheat and peas the second year. Crimson ^ clover 

 may be put in the cotton at last cultivation, or after first picking, 

 and turned under the third year in time for corn. 



Our examinations of the upland and valley soils of the Mountain 

 district and of the red clay and valley soils of the Piedmont show 

 them to be high in potash and poor in phosphoric acid, the amount of 

 nitrogen, or ammonia, in all of them depending on the amount of 

 organic matter, or humus, present. A fertilizer for best results on 

 these soils should contain small amounts of potash and large amounts 

 of phosphoric acid, the amount of nitrogen, or ammonia, depending 

 on the organic matter present in them, and the size of the stalk which 

 the land will produce naturally without fertilizer; the main office 

 of the nitrogen being to produce stalk, without a satisfactory growth 

 of which a good crop of grain cannot be obtained. Phosphoric acid 

 and potash, and especially phosphoric acid, are needed to cause the 

 small grain heads to fill properly. Mixtures which will contain 8 to 

 10 per cent of phosphoric acid, iy 2 to 2l/ 2 per cent potash and 3 to 

 4 per cent of ammonia, will give good results on these types of soil. 

 For the sandy-loam soils of the Piedmont and Eastern districts mix- 

 tures containing 7 to 8 per cent phosphoric acid, 2 to 3 per cent 

 potash, 3 to 4 per cent of ammonia, will do well. In making these 

 mixtures the phosphoric acid may be supplied by 14 or 16 per cent 

 acid phosphate, the potash by kainit or manure salt, muriate or 

 sulphate of potash, and the nitrogen, or ammonia, by dried blood, 

 tankage, cotton-seed meal in small quantity, or other vegetable or 

 animal ammoniates, or by nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia for 

 top dressing in the spring. If the fertilizer is to be put in the drill 

 with the wheat, only a small amount of cotton-seed meal should be 

 used, as in its decomposition or rotting in the soil the germination 

 of the wheat or small grain is destroyed, and the stand may be poor 

 on this account. Small amounts of cotton-seed meal may be used 

 without injury; possibly 50 pounds to the acre is as much as should 

 be employed. Where meal is used the rest of the ammonia, or 

 nitrogen, may be supplied by blood, tankage, or similar materials. 

 If the fertilizer is to be broadcasted, all of the ammonia may come 



