SOIL FOR MAIZI 209 



soil that is easily drained and does not bake during drouth. 

 While the water should drain freely from the surface, a water- 

 table within three feet of the surface is not objectionable and 

 probably desirable. The free movement of water through the 

 soil in all directions, especially during the period of fastest 

 growth, is essential to the largest yields. 



283. Rotations. — The maize crop, while not considered an 

 exhaustive crop, requires a fertile soil, that is, one with a high 

 c^op producing capacity. The rotation and fertilization are such 

 as to bring this crop on the soil at the time of its greatest pro- 

 ducing power. Throughout the main "corn-belt," a good rota- 

 tion is, maize, two years ; wheat or oats, one year ; timothy and 

 clover, three years. In the Northern States outside the distinc- 

 tive " corn-belt," maize is grown only one year, generally followed 

 by oats; then wheat seeded with timothy and clover. The 

 length of time the seeding is left to stand is quite variable. 

 Economic conditions have a controlling influence, but for the 

 good of the land probably one to three years will give the best 

 results, (i 19) The Louisiana Station^ has decided that a three- 

 year rotation, consisting of maize, oats, followed by cowpeas and 

 cotton, is the best attainable for that section. To get the maxi- 

 mum yield, it is necessary to sow the oats in October. The cotton 

 cannot be removed in time for the oat crop, but maize can. 



The Indiana Station ^ found that a rotation that included 

 timothy and clover, beans and roots, gave during seven years a 

 yield of twenty per cent more grain of maize than did a rotation 

 containing only maize, oats and wheat. The last year the gain 

 was forty-eight per cent, indicating a continuous widening in 

 productive capacity. 



284. The Continuous Cropping of Maize. — On deep black 

 friable prairie soils, as well as upon the fertile river bottom soils 



I La. BuL 35, p. 1,211. 

 « Ind. BuL 55, p. 28. 



