48 FOR BETTER CROPS IN TEE SOUTH 



advantage in the South, but it is particularly necessary if there 

 is any tendency to acidity in the soil. Where much needed, 

 lime should be applied at the rate of 1,500 to 2,000 pounds per 

 acre. A somewhat smaller quantity would probably be an 

 advantage in many cases. The liming should be done some 

 time before the seed is planted. It may be applied through the 

 grain drill but if spread on the surface should be covered with 

 the harrow. 



For the purpose of preventing the ravages of the boll weevil 

 through the use of other crops, and to put the soil in good con- 

 dition for wheat, it is important to give much attention to the 

 use of legumes. Many leguminous crops are adapted to the 

 South, such as cowpeas, soy beans, sweet clover, red clover, crim- 

 son clover, and, in the western portion, Japan clover. These are 

 all excellent, wherever they are adapted, for preceding the wheat 

 crop. 



Rotations— It is important to precede wheat with some legu- 

 minous crop, preferably cowpeas. The wheat may either follow 

 corn with which cowpeas have been sown or it may follow a crop 

 of cowpeas sown alone. In the latter case some other crop, such 

 as oats, may precede the cowpeas the same season. With crim- 

 son clover the following four-year rotation may be advanta- 

 geously arranged, viz., first year, cotton, with crimson clover sown 

 later between the rows; second year, cotton; third year, corn 

 with cowpeas; fourth year, wheat followed by cowpeas. Where 

 red clover can be grown a good three-year rotation would be as 

 follows: first year, wheat sown with red clover; second year, con- 

 tinuation of the red clover; third year, corn. 



Fertilizers— Ordinarily it will be necessary to use fertilizers 

 for wheat. Acid phosphate is apparently a little more necessary 

 than in the case of oats, while on poor soils, such as those much 

 inclined to be sandy, potash should be applied. A proper pro- 

 portion of commercial fertilizers would usually be 150 to 200 

 pounds of acid phosphate, 25 pounds of potash, and 80 to 100 

 pounds of nitrate of soda per acre. As in the case of oats the 

 acid phosphate and potash should be applied at the time of seed- 

 ing. The nitrate of soda is applied as a top dressing some time 

 in March, or about three months before harvest. 



Soil Preparation — An important feature of cultivation is 

 early and deep plowing unless the wheat is preceded by a culti- 

 vated crop. It is a safe rule never to leave the ground idle for 

 any length of time after the preceding crop is removed. It 

 should be at once plowed or otherwise treated for the crop that 

 is to follow. 



Seeding— Other practices to be observed in soil preparation, 

 and method and time of seeding, are about the same for wheat as 



