FARM MANAGEMENT IN CATAWBA COUNTY, N. C. 19 



The visible but unrecorded cropping history of the region is full of 

 examples of these long rotations. How successfully they have ful- 

 filled their mission is shown by the fact that these old fields , when re- 

 cleared and planted, yield ahnost if not fully as well as when put 

 under cultivation the first time. 



On the better grade of lands conditions have been such as to foster 

 a shorter rotation. The strong lands first cleared of the original 

 forest growth continued to give profitable crops for a considerable 

 period, perhaps a dozen years or more. From 2 to 5 years of rest 

 then suffices to bring them back into a profitable state of fertility. 

 The second cropping period was generally of shorter duration than 

 the first while the time for recuperation was fully as long. Thus in 

 the course of time lands come to be cultivated from 3 to 5 years and 

 then \a,y out (rested) from 1 to 2 years, while occasionally they were 

 cropped 2 years and rested 1. 



The shorter rotation consisted very generally of nonleguminous 

 plants to be disposed of commercially, and broom sedge, weeds, and 

 brush during the soil-resting period. The completion of a cycle in 

 the rotation required from 3 to 7 years, according to the degree of 

 exhaustion of the soil. 



Neither of these natural rotations has entirely gone out of use. 

 ''Land resting" is still practiced on a considerable percentage of the 

 farms, but the practice is not so universal as it was a few decades 

 ago. In 1912 12.4 per cent and in 1918 10.1 per cent of the tillable 

 land in farms was classified as idle or resting. 



The turning out of land to grow up in second-growth or old-field 

 pines is becoming less common with each succeeding generation, 

 and bids fair to cease entirely, in the course of a few decades, or to 

 be confined to lands which really should never have been put under 

 cultivation. 



SUGGESTED CROP ROTATIONS. 



According to the findings of this survey, rotations used in the 

 Piedmont regions should give prominence to the cotton crop, un- 

 questionably the most important and profitable farm enterprise for 

 the area. The rotations should be such as to utilize to a very full 

 extent the entire erop land of the farms. In general practice the 

 rotation calling for some double cropping should be preferred over 

 others. The rotation should be so planned as to prevent the neces- 

 sity Of resting land, and with a view to utilizing labor, train and 

 equipment to Ihe fullest possible degree. Due regard must be given 



to increasing soil fertility. To this end summer legumes and winter 

 cover crops, both leguminous and nonleguminous, should be jrown. 



In order to utilize teams and labor to the besl advantage d M idor- 

 able land should be available for the late fall, winter, and early 



