l6 COTTON CULTURE 



plow the successive steps, or inter-terraces deeply, so that 

 the soil will absorb any ordinary rainfall. In case of an 

 excessive downpour, the surplus water that might other- 

 wise form a pond will flow over the edge in a continuous 

 thin sheet, with little destructive force. 



On very slight slopes, side-hill ditching, following the 

 contour of the slope, will serve to catch and remove the 

 flood of surface water. These ditches are easily thrown 

 up by the plow. 



ROTATION OF CROPS 



The chief object of a rotation of crops is to renovate 

 the soil; that is, to give it a change in cultural methods. 

 By such means various forms of insect ravages are checked, 

 the mechanical quality of the soil is improved, and its 

 natural fertility made more available. The rotation of 

 crops is not always advisable, nor always economical, 

 but as a general rule it is useful, inasmuch as it diversi- 

 fies the products of the farm. By including clover, or 

 other legumes, such as cow-peas, in the rotation, the fer- 

 tilizer bill for nitrogen can be cut down one-half, as these 

 leguminous plants take nitrogen from the atmosphere and 

 convert it into suitable plant food. 



In a climate suitable for cotton culture, two hoed crops 

 should not follow each other. The soil under such cir- 

 cumstances becomes too much exposed to the sun and 

 washing rains. Thus, fertility in the shape of organic 

 matter is rapidly destroyed, or washed from the soil. If 

 the soil is very rich in organic matter, hoed crops may 



