220 FIELD CROPS FOR THE COTTON-BELT 



out the corn-growing regions outside of the cotton-belt 

 are so planned as to bring corn on the land immediately 

 following the hay crop. A good rotation for the corn-belt 

 is corn, two years; wheat or oats, one year; timothy and 

 clover, three years. In the cotton-belt corn usually follows 

 cotton in the rotation, and is followed by fall sown small- 

 grains. ' When the yield of corn alone is considered this is 

 not the best arrangement. It is given this position because 

 it permits the early preparation of the land for small- 

 grains. Cotton is not generally removed in time to permit 

 the fall seeding of small-grains. 



268. Suggested rotations for the cotton-belt. The 

 rotation most generally recommended for the cotton-belt 

 is (1) cotton; (2) corn; (3) oats or wheat followed by 

 cowpeas. Often cowpeas are sown in the corn at the last 

 cultivation. This is an excellent rotation and applicable to 

 a large part of the cotton-belt. 



The North Carolina State Department of Agriculture 

 suggests the following rotation for the cotton district of 

 that state: (1) cotton, with rye or oats as winter cover; 

 (2) cotton, with crimson clover as winter cover; (3) corn 

 with cowpeas, plowed deep in fall after corn is cut off, 

 with rye as winter cover, and back to cotton. 



A four-year rotation rather widely practiced in the sugar- 

 cane sections of Louisiana is first, second, and third years, 

 sugar-cane; fourth year, corn with cowpeas. 



The number of rotations that can be followed in the 

 production of the corn crop is large. No rotation should 

 be adopted that does not provide a liberal supply of or- 

 ganic matter to the soil. Open sandy soils subject to the 

 rapid loss of organic matter by oxidation are best adapted 

 to short rotations which bring humus supplying crops 

 on the land at rather short intervals. 



