10 BULLETIN 294, U, S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



References. — Bureau of Plant Industry Cir. 66: Farmers' Bui. 501; 

 Office of Experiment Stations Bui. 33, pp. 211, 212. Write to jour 

 State college of agriculture for literature on selecting seed for 

 planting. 



LESSON V. 



Subject. — Place of cotton in crop rotation. 



Topics for study. — (1) Reasons for rotation: (a) Different crops 

 make different requirements of the soil; (b) root systems differ; (c) 

 crops should be selected to suit varying seasonal conditions; (d) 

 the culture of one crop prepares for a succeeding crop of a particular 

 kind; (e) distribution of labor. (2) Cotton in systems of rotation. 

 How would you make a crop of cotton regardless of the boll weevil ? 



Exercises. — Draw plans of the home farm, showing fields, and 

 write in each field the crops in the order in which they were grown 

 during the last five years. Write to the State agricultural college 

 for (a) a system of crop rotation in cotton farming and for (b) a 

 system of rotation in live-stock farming, which will help to create 

 extensive home markets for roughage and leguminous crops and at 

 the same time add to the fertility of the soil. 



References:— Farmers' Buls. 326, p. 21; 364, pp. 8, 9; Office of 

 Experiment Stations Bui. 33, p. 260. 



LESSON VI. 



Subject. — Preparation of the seed bed. 



Topics for study. — It is good practice to plow any soils except the 

 sandiest in the fall, provided some winter-growing crop, such as the 

 small grains, or clovers, or vetches, are sown. 



Kinds and conditions of soil necessary. Time of plowing. 

 Methods of plowing or breaking. Depth of plowing. When should 

 cover crops be turned under for cotton ? Characteristics of a good 

 seed bed. 



Exercises. — Show the effect of plowing under cloddy soil, or a large 

 cover crop, on the rise of capillary water; also the effect of disking a 

 cover crop, or heavy coating of manure into the surface soil before 

 turning under. Use four lamp chimneys, numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4. 

 Fill all to a depth of 5 inches with a sandy soil. Finish filling No 1, 

 using good loam soil. On top of the sand in No. 2 put 1 inch of 

 wheat or oat chaff well packed down. In No. 3 put 2 inches of fine 

 clods. Finish filling Nos. 2 and 3 with loam soil. Complete the 

 filling of No. 4 by using a mixture of loam and the same amount of 

 chaff used in No. 2. Set all chimneys in about 1 inch of water. 

 Observe and explain results. 



References. — Textbooks on elementary agriculture; bulletins pub- 

 lished by the State agricultural college; Office of Experiment Stations 

 Bui. 33, pp. 258-260. 



