96 FIELD CROPS 



lodging of grain crops, the rotation may be made longer by 

 growing corn two years in succession. This plan makes the 

 rotation a four-year one, as follows: First year, grain; 

 second year, clover; third, and fourth years, corn. Owing 

 to the strong feeding habits of the crop and to the rapid 

 decomposition of vegetable matter which takes place in corn 

 fields, two years of corn will usually reduce the available 

 plant food in the soil sufficiently to permit the growth of the 

 proper grain crop without danger from lodging. 



Corn may be used in combinations in rotations, depend- 

 ing entirely upon the needs of the farm. A four-year rota- 

 tion adapted to a farm on which it is desired to grow a com- 

 paratively large quantity of grain might be as follows: 

 First year, grain; second year, clover; third year, corn; 

 fourth year, grain. If desirable, another grain crop might 

 be added, which would make a five-year rotation with one 

 year of corn, one year of clover, and three years of grain. 

 Unless considerable quantities of fertilizer were applied, 

 such a rotation would by no means maintain the produc- 

 tivity of the soil. Another practical five-year rotation in- 

 cluding corn is: First year, grain; second year, meadow; 

 third year, pasture; fourth year, corn; fifth year, grain. 

 In the Southern states, corn ranks second only to cotton 

 in importance. These two crops are almost alwa3^s included 

 in any rotation which is devised for this section. Cowpeas 

 are quite generally grown to add nitrogen and are sometimes 

 plowed under to increase the vegetable matter in the soil. 

 They are often planted with the corn, either in rows or 

 between them at the last cultivation. A very good rotation 

 for the South is: First year, corn and cowpeas; second 

 year, cotton followed by winter grain; third year, grain, 

 followed by cowpeas for hay. 



In Chapter XXVI the general subject of the rotation of 

 crops is discussed in its broader aspects. 



