FARM MANAGEMENT IN THE OZARKS. 



23 



CORN. 



Corn is relied upon as the main feed crop of the region, and on 

 practically every farm as many acres of it are put in as possible. 

 A rotation system has been definitely adopted on farms in many 

 sections. In other sections the system has not been so definitely 

 worked out, and on some of the most fertile bottom farms corn is 

 planted year after year. The thin soils of this region will not stand 

 continuous corn cropping, and the general practice is to plant corn 

 one or two years, followed in the fall by wheat or in the spring by 

 oats. With the winter cereal, grass and clover are seeded, and during 

 the following years hay is cut as long as the stand remains good. 

 After haying, the sod may be devoted to pasture for a few years. 



The two most important problems with which these farmers are 

 faced in crop production are frequency of droughts, to which this 

 country is subjected, and the low productivity of the soils. 



The Missouri State Board of Agriculture has for a number of years 

 published estimated yields of crops by counties, and to show how 

 seriously the com crop is affected by droughts in this region the 

 following table is presented, giving such yields for the county of 

 Texas, together with the precipitation for July and August recorded 

 at Houston, Texas County. 



Table VIII. — Yield of corn and rainfall. 



Year. 



Total yield 

 of corn 

 in Texas 

 County. 



Combined 

 July and 

 August 

 rainfall at 

 Houston. 



Year. 



Total yield 

 of corn 

 in Texas 

 County. 



Combined 

 July and 

 August 

 rainfall at 

 Houston. 



1907 



Bushels. 

 830,963 

 964, 100 

 1,027,120 

 1,551,056 

 1,087,860 

 1,085,133 



Inches. 

 3.72 

 6.13 

 9.02 

 10.51 

 11.40 

 10.86 



1913 



Bushels. 

 671, 749 

 313, 140 

 680,600 

 843,291 



1,019,568 



Inches. 

 4 68 



1908 



1914 



7 03 



1909 



1915 



11.10 



1910 



1916 



3.54 



1911 



1917 



6.62 



1912 











The frequency of rainfall throughout the growing season is a very 

 important factor. To illustrate, the July-August total precipitation 

 was almost identical in 1917 and 1914, but in 1914 6.07 inches of 

 rain fell in August, while in May, June, and July, respectively, but 

 0.24, 0.85, and 0.96 inches of rain fell. In 1917 the May, June, 

 July, and August precipitation in inches was 2.25, 3.18, 3.35, and 

 3.27, respectively. In 1914 the corn crop was 313,140 bushels and 

 in 1917 1,019,568 bushels. 



Many factors besides rainfall can have a very great influence upon 

 crop yields. The above table, however, does show in a general way 

 how very seriously the corn crop has been affected by droughts in 

 this county; and farmers, not only in this county but in every county 



