6 FOB BETTER CROPS IN THE SOUTH 



of fcrrili73] is required each year to maintain the yield. This 

 has been the experience of thousands of Southern corn growers. 



A Good Rotation— There is no one best rotation for corn. 

 The system of farming to be practiced, as well as local conditions, 

 are f.actors that must be considered in planning the rotation. 

 The following rotation is applicable to most -of the Southern 

 states*: 



First year : Cotton with burr clover sown in fall for cover 

 crop. 



Second year: Corn, with cowpeas at last cultivation, followed 

 by oats. 



Third year : Oats, followed by cowpeas for hay. 



The burr clover, following the cotton, can be sown at the last 

 cultivation of the cotton. The seeds will remain in the soil until 



Corn field in Dixie Land 



late fall, when they will germinate and produce a winter and 

 early spring cover crop to be plowed under for corn. Where it is 

 desirable to plow the land in the fall, no cover crop should be 

 sown in the cotton, but if possible it should be sown as soon as the 

 land is plowed. The soil ought not to be left without a crop 

 during the winter months, as this results in the loss of much 

 plant food as a result of leaching. A winter crop is also very 

 effective in preventing erosion. 



The cowpeas sown at the last cultivation of the corn may be 

 harvested for seed or pastured off. The cowpeas after oats are 

 best harvested for hay. After this crop of hay is harvested, 

 some winter-growing crop should be planted. 



Fertilizers for Corn — Corn makes a rapid growth, producing 

 a large amount of dry matter per acre. This necessitates the 

 presence of rather large amounts of nitrogen in the soil. Phos- 

 phorus, though not taken up in as large amounts as nitrogen, is 

 quite often the limiting factor in the growth of corn on south- 

 ern soils, due to its general deficiency as a soil constituent. A 



