CO-OPERATIVE EXPERIMENTS AND DEMONSTRATIONS. 



SUGGESTIONS AS TO SOIL IMPROVEMENT, CULTIVATION OF 

 CORN, COTTON AND THE LEGUMES. 



BY 



T. B. Parker, Director Co-operative Experiments and Demonstration, 

 AND T. J. W. Broom, Assistant Demonstrator. 



The Department of Co-operative Experiments was created by the 

 State Board of Agriculture for the purpose of assisting the farmers 

 of the State in. building up a permanent and profitable system of 

 agriculture. 



Briefly stated, the plan of the work is to locate a few farms of one 

 or more acre each in a county, on soils of ordinary fertility, and estab- 

 lish such rotation of crops as are adapted to the soils, giving due con- 

 sideration to the legumes, such as the cowpea, the soy bean, the 

 clovers and vetches, for soil improvement and for hay ; rye, oats and 

 barley will also receive attention as winter cover crops, for green soil- 

 ing and green manuring. Instructions will be given relative to the 

 preparation of the seed bed, the application of fertilizers, and the 

 cultivation of the crops. Assistance will also be given in the select- 

 ing and securing of seeds of the varieties best suited to the soil and 

 climate. 



With this brief outline of the purposes and plan of the work, the 

 fundamental principles and salient points may be summarized as 

 follows : 



(1) A deep seed bed, well drained, well prepared, and filled with 

 vegetable matter. 



(2) Good seed of the varieties best suited to the soil and climate. 

 .(3) For corn and cotton rapid and shallow cultivation during the 



growing season. 



(4) Systematic crop rotation. 



(5) The growing of legumes for forage crops and soil improve- 

 ment. 



(6) Winter cover crops to prevent leaching, surface washing, and 

 to add vegetable matter. 



(7) The conservation and utilization of all farm refuse, farm 

 manures, and a wise and judicious use of commercial fertilizers. 



