6 SOILS OF FENDER COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. 



to early April. These can be followed by either cotton, corn, or for- 

 age crops. Radishes may be followed by peppers, with cotton, corn, 

 cowpeas, or other crops planted between the rows, thus admitting the 

 growing of three crops on the same land. This year (1909) four 

 crops were grown in the same field in the vicinity of Burgaw, in which 

 instance radishes were followed by tomatoes, a crop of volunteer 

 crab grass was cut, and the land seeded to cowpeas. 



A good rotation is to follow spring lettuce by early snap beans and 

 then collards or fall cabbage, and in January or early February by 

 Irish potatoes to be dug in late spring or early summer and followed 

 by cowpeas, these in turn to be followed by fall lettuce. Another 

 excellent rotation is spring lettuce, cowpeas, Irish potatoes, sweet 

 potatoes, and fall lettuce.. Beets followed by cucumbers can be 

 grown advantageously after fall lettuce. Numerous other combina- 

 tions or rotations are common. Long-period rotations should be 

 practiced in connection with the production of the general farm crops 

 and vegetables. It is especially important in all rotations to intro- 

 duce occasionally a legume, such as velvet beans, soy beans, cowpeas, 

 crimson clover, or vetch, and on the sandy types one of these, prefer- 

 ably crimson clover, vetch, or cowpeas, should be plowed under to 

 supply needed organic matter. The water-holding capacity and 

 general structural condition of most of the soils are very greatly 

 improved by turning under a partly matured or green crop. 



Some trouble is had with lettuce by damping off or rotting, but it 

 is believed that injury from this source could be materially lessened 

 or avoided by practicing some of the above or similar rotations. 

 Tomatoes have been injured in some instances by blight or other dis- 

 ease. It would be advisable for some farmers to acquaint themselves 

 with modern methods of combating plant diseases by the use of 

 fungicides. 



Large quantities of commercial fertilizers are used. Of the gen- 

 eral farm crops cotton and, to a less extent, corn are given applica- 

 tions of the lower grades of complete mixtures generally those 

 analyzing from 8-2-2 to 10-3-3. The acreage application for corn 

 usually ranges from 250 to 350 pounds, while that for cotton varies 

 from 300 to 500 pounds. Heavier applications of higher grades are 

 generally made for vegetables. Frequently a ton per acre is used. 

 With such an application usually two or three truck crops are grown, 

 followed by cotton, corn, peanuts, or forage, the fertilizer being 

 entirely adequate for good yields of several crops. Brands analyzing 

 from 8-3-4 to about 8-6-7 are commonly used for vegetables. 

 Various home mixtures and special commercial brands, however, are 

 used to meet the requirements of different crops, different types of 

 soil, and not infrequently the convenience or fancy of the grower. 



[Cir. 20] 



