CLIMATE AND SOILS 27 



vigor of growth and yields vary widely on diff- 

 erent soils. A profitable crop can be produced 

 on almost any class of land, provided suitable 

 plant food is present or is furnished by applica- 

 tions of fertilizers. 



The system of cropping practised in the 

 cotton states has so reduced the fertility of 

 some soils that crops cannot be grown on them 

 at a profit. The use of so much of these poor, 

 depleted lands accounts for the low average 

 yields. Some of the cotton lands are naturally 

 poor; and the constant cropping to cotton, with- 

 out returning enough vegetable matter to retain 

 fertility and protect from washing has made 

 vast areas of once rich soils almost worthless. 



On the other hand, there are some extremely 

 rich bottom lands and some newly cleared 

 fields not in bottoms that have too much moist- 

 ure and plant food for successful cotton raising. 

 These should be devoted to corn, meadows or 

 pastures. If planted to cotton the plant growth 

 is too rank and the fruit will often be scattering. 

 There is also an additional danger of serious 

 damage from the rotting of the bolls, insect 

 depredations, and fungous diseases on these 

 rich lands. 



