14 SOILS OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. 



the crop. In the case of winter wheat it is difficult to see where any 

 profit can be made from the production of the crop. In the case of 

 cotton, however, fair profits may be secured on the showing made by 

 this type. The failure of the Memphis silt loam to produce adequate 

 crop returns may not be attributed to the inherent characteristics of 

 the soil itself, since in all areas where it has been encountered, under 

 varying climatic conditions, the best farmers of those regions have 

 easily doubled the average crop yields reported for the counties. 



One of the principal necessities for increasing the yields of corn, 

 wheat, or cotton upon the Memphis silt loam is the adoption of 

 some well-regulated crop rotation, planned with the definite pur- 

 pose of incorporating organic matter in the surface soil. In the 

 more northern States a rotation consisting of corn the first year, fol- 

 lowed by oats or winter wheat the second year, followed by two 

 years devoted to the growing of the mixed grasses, including clover, 

 will materially increase the crop-producing power of this type if the 

 rotation be adhered to for a few years. In the more southern areas 

 a crop rotation should be adopted which will provide for the sowing 

 of a winter cover crop between the rows in the corn field at the last 

 working of the corn, or of a winter cover crop to succeed the cotton. 

 In the majority of localities where the Memphis silt loam is found 

 south of the Ohio River, crimson clover and winter vetch are both 

 available for this purpose and may be grown without interfering 

 seriously with the cultivation or the picking of the cotton crop. 

 Either crop provides a considerable amount of green manure to be 

 turned under the succeeding spring in preparation for a succeeding 

 crop. It is also a fact that a rotation providing for the growing of 

 cotton followed by corn, followed by winter oats, these to be followed 

 by a crop of cowpeas will materially aid in maintaining the Mem- 

 phis silt loam against erosion and in restoring much needed organic 

 matter to the surface soil. 



To secure the best results in crop production upon this type of 

 soil, fall or winter plowing 6 to 9 inches deep is requisite. 

 The lands should be " broadcasted " instead of having the ridges 

 plowed out into the middles. In the spring the land should be 

 thoroughly pulverized with a disk harrow and manures and fer- 

 tilizers applied prior to the planting of the crop. Except in the more 

 sloping areas, where it is necessary to adopt the contour method of 

 tillage, ridge cultivation is scarcely necessary upon the type. Instead, 

 the cultivation of the crops should be accomplished through the shal- 

 low stirring of the surface soil by the use of the spiked-tooth culti- 

 vator, and the small turn plow or sweep should be used, particularly 

 during the latter part of the season, only to plow out areas which are 

 badly in weeds or grass. 



