The Cotton Crop 205 



Cotton Should Years ago many of the more thoughtful 

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a Legume • t i i 



Cj-Qp sion that the cultivation of cotton, year 



after year, on the same land was injurious, 



and they adopted the plan of what they termed "resting" 



the land. That is, they allowed the field on alternate 



years to he fallow and grow up in weeds and grass. Of 



course, this was better than cultivating it continuously, 



for it did restore some organic matter to the soil. But 



the reason given, that the soil gets tired and needs rest 



was the fundamental error. 



The soil is a great chemical laboratory in which con- 

 stant changes and new combinations are going on. Crops 

 get tired of continually living on their own decay and food 

 elements needed by the crop become deficient, and must 

 be supplied in some way. The most expensive way to 

 supply them is through the purchase on credit prices of 

 the complete commercial fertilizers. The cheapest way 

 is to supply the most costly element, the nitrogen, through 

 the agency of the crop that will enable the farmer to feed 

 stock and make manure, and through having money com- 

 ing in at different seasons of the year, to get on a cash 

 basis. 



The rotation then that is best suited to the level sandy 

 soils of the coastal plain should be one that contains the 

 auxilliary crops not only best suited to the soil and cli- 

 mate, but best suited to increase the productiveness 

 of the soil in the staple crop. We will suggest one that 

 has worked well in that part of the cotton belt. 



For this section of the cotton belt, where, as a rule, the 

 soil and climate are not well suited to wheat, the best 



