

m. 



Seventy-Five Bushels of Corn per Acre on Delta Lands Are Not Uncommon 



Corn. Even on these alluvial soils where crop rotation is practiced and 

 legumes are grown, the mechanical texture of the soil is noticeably improved in 

 increased crop production. One planter in 1917 planted 2,200 acres to corn, soy 

 beans, cow peas and other food crops. Of this acreage, 1,500 was planted to corn 

 and under the best methods of tillage produced 100 bushels per acre. One 

 measured acre yielded 118 bushels. We would say this was an exceptional yield on 

 so large an acreage, although much larger yields are recorded on a smaller acreage 

 under intensified methods of cultivation. Seventy-five bushels per acre on Delta 

 lands are not uncommon and the average is very little below that figure. The 

 seed from which these yields are made is of the prolific varieties, producing two 

 or more good ears per stalk. 



Soy Beans. This crop is growing more and more in favor with the farmers 

 of the South, as it is highly profitable as a forage crop and a soil restorer. As a 

 feed for cattle, with corn ensilage, it provides a nearly balanced ration and by some 

 stock men is considered superior to alfalfa. Yields vary, depending upon the fer- 

 tility of the soil and the care and attention given to cultivation. One planter last 

 year on a field of 600 acres had an average yield of 40 bushels per acre. Under 

 normal conditions, we would say the average yield per acre for the State would be 

 about 25 bushels. The price was $3.00 per bushel for 1918. 



Velvet Beans and Cow Peas. Both of these legumes are considered very 

 valuable from the viewpoint of their feed value, especially in the raising of live 

 stock. In 1918, Mississippi harvested 525,000 bushels of velvet beans and $1,760,- 

 000 worth of cow peas. 1 his, however, does not represent the full production or 

 value of either crop, as large proportions of both crops are left in the fields to be 

 harvested by the hogs and cattle. Like red clover, sweet clover, and other 

 legumes, the velvet bean and cow peas are nitrogen gatherers and leave the soil 

 in a higher slate of fertility, thereby increasing its productive powers, and larger 

 \ ields of field crops the follow ins; year are the result. 



Hay. According to the figures furnished by the United States 1 department of 

 Agriculture, Bureau of Crop Estimates, the total value of the hay crop in Missis- 

 sippi for 1918 was $8,589,000. One of the most valuable hays is Lespedeza, or 

 Japanese clover. When combined with Bermuda, white and crimson clover, one 

 acre will easily maintain a full-grown steer as long as rainfall is sufficient. On a 

 well-balanced soil Lespedeza will yield from one to three tons per acre. It is one 

 of the most easily cured hay crops in the State, often requiring less than 21 hours 



