384 SOIL PHYSICS AND MANAGEMENT 



heavy phase of brown silt loam. If two crops of wheat are desired 

 in the rotation, the extra one may follow the clover, seeded again to 

 a different kind of clover to be plowed under for corn. This changes 

 it to a five-year cycle. Another practical one where wheat is the 

 leading crop is (1) wheat; (2) wheat (clover) ; and (3) clover. 



Probably one of the best four-year rotations for the corn belt 

 and one which gives two good money crops advantageously located 

 in the cycle is (1) corn, (2) oats (clover), (3) clover; (4) wheat 

 (clover). This gives three years during which the legume crops 

 are growing and the rotation is adapted to soils deficient in nitrogen 

 and low in organic matter. On the grain farm practically all of 

 the clover crop should be turned back into the soil in any of these 

 rotations. The clover may be clipped and left on the land and the 

 second crop may be harvested for seed and the straw returned to the 

 soil. All crop residues not fed should be turned back into the soil. 

 If more corn is desired this may be changed to a five-year rotation 

 by adding another year of corn, making (1) corn, (2) corn, (3) 

 oats (clover), (4) clover, and (5) wheat (clover). 



These rotations are well adapted to either grain or mixed farm- 

 ing, since the clover may be pastured to good advantage. Another 

 year of pasture or hay may be easily added by seeding clover and 

 timothy instead of clover alone. The first year of these the crop will 

 be largely clover, while the second will be mostly timothy. If the 

 clover should fail, soybeans may be substituted to be cut for hay or 

 seed. Soybean straw is eaten very readily by stock. 



If soybeans or cowpeas can be used to good advantage, a rotation 

 containing one of the crops may well be practiced. The rotation 

 might be (1) corn, (2) cowpeas or soybeans, (3) wheat (clover), 

 (4) clover. The cowpea or soybean hay may be fed 1 to stock and 

 the manure returned to the soil. 



Alfalfa may be included in the rotation by adding another field 

 and growing it while the other crops are going the rounds of the 

 regular rotation. At the end of this cycle, the alfalfa field is then 

 put into corn and the clover field is seeded to alfalfa. 



In these rotations alsike, mammoth, medium red, or sweet clover 

 may be used. Where conditions are very favorable for getting a 

 catch of alfalfa, this crop may be substituted for clover, but as a 

 general rule it is a wise plan to leave a good stand of alfalfa for 

 several years when once obtained. 



2. For the Cotton Belt. This region possesses many advan- 

 tages in climate over the corn belt. It has a larger and better dig- 



