30 The Bulletin 



tivity of the poorer ones. The methods in common use by the farmers 

 should be such that their soils would become more productive year by 

 year. The investigations that have been carried on by the Division of 

 Agronomy in previous years have been conducted primarily to determine 

 the most economical methods of fertilizing the various soil types of this 

 and other counties of the State, and to take the information thus secured 

 and apply it in conjunction with systems of crop rotation for the pur- 

 pose of increasing the producing power of the soils. From information 

 thus secured we are able to recommend methods which, if followed by the 

 farmers of Gaston County, will maintain their soils in a far more pro- 

 ductive state than they are at the present time, using the methods that 

 are now commonly in practice. In providing the necessary plant-food 

 constituents as recommended above, it is necessary to adopt a proper 

 system of crop rotation if the largest and most profitable returns per acre 

 are to be secured. The following rotations are recommended as well 

 adapted for conditions prevailing in the county. 



Fi7'st Year. — Corn, with soybeans or cowpeas drilled in row at plant- 

 ing or before the first cultivation. They may, too, be so\vn broadcast 

 just before the last cultivation. 



Second Year. — Wheat or oats, red clover. 



Third Year. — Red clover. 



This is a short rotation and is admirably adapted for more wide use 

 on the grain farms of the county. The corn stover and wheat straw 

 secured should be ploAved under or fed to stock and the manure carefully 

 saved and returned to the soil. The soybeans or cowpeas and last crop 

 of red clover should be turned under after saving the seed. 



In starting this rotation on average soils, it is recommended that an 

 application of 200 to 400 pounds of acid phosphate be used under the 

 corn and that 74 pounds to 100 pounds of nitrate of soda be used as a 

 top-dressing alongside of the rows about 2 to 3 inches from the plants 

 about the first of July. If available, farm manure may be used with the 

 acid phosphate, and the nitrate in this case could be eliminated entirely. 

 This fertilization applies to the more extensively tilled soils. The nitro- 

 gen application could be greatly reduced or left off entirely on new land 

 or on other soils containing a goodly supply of organic matter. Unless 

 lime has been applied within the last two or three years, an application 

 of 2,000 pounds of ground limestone per acre should be added to those 

 soils on which legumes are to be grown and to those containing a consid- 

 erable amount of organic matter. The lime should be applied broadcast 

 and be thoroughly incorporated with the surface soils by means of a disk 

 or spike-tooth harrow at the time of preparing the land for a corn or 

 wheat crop. 



During the first year wheat or oats are grown on the land they should 

 receive similar treatment to that recommended for corn. In addition to 

 the acid phosphate, it would be well to apply 200 to 400 pounds of rock 

 phosjihate per acre, as this fertilization is for both the wheat and clover 

 crops that are to follow. 



