32 



BULLETIN 651, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



CROP ROTATION. 



The preceding pages show quite definitely the limitations of the 

 various crops grown in this area. The most suitahle crop rotation 

 for the well-organized farm can therefore be determined quite accu- 

 rately. Other crops may be added to this rotation and variations 

 made to suit the individual farm. But if one of the rotations out- 

 lined below is followed, the necessary steps are taken to secure good 

 yields, and the proper acreage of crops are grown per mule, the 

 farm should prove profitable. 



Table XXIII. — Three methods of planning a five-year rotation/or this area. 



Year. 



1 



2 



3 







Cotton 



Cotton. 









Corn with cowpeas. 







Corn with cowpeas 





Corn with cowpeas 



Oats followed by cowpeas. 



Cotton. 





Oats followed by cowpeas. 



Oats followed by cowpeas. 





The average acreage and the most profitable acreage per work 

 animal has been shown to be between 20 and 23 acres. Taking this 

 as a basis, 40 per cent, or two-fifths, of the crop land will, under 

 average conditions, grow the feed crops required for home consump- 

 tion, leaving 60 per cent, or three-fifths, for cotton. This makes a 

 five-year rotation, which may be cotton, cotton, cotton, corn 

 with cowpeas, and oats followed by cowpeas, as shown in Table 

 XXIII. In many instances it would also be advisable to plant oats 

 after cotton and cotton after corn, as the oats can be drilled in the 

 cotton rows, and less labor in planting would be required. The 

 objection to planting cotton after corn is that the corn stalks inter- 

 fere with the cotton cultivation. With 20 crop acres per mule in 

 staple crops there would be five fields of 4 acres each, or, with 22J 

 acres, five fields of 4| acres each. 



In addition, there should be some miscellaneous crops which 

 may or may not be made a part of the rotation. With 20 acres of 

 staple crops per mule there would be 12 acres of cotton and 4 acres 

 each of the other crops, or if there were 22£ acres, there would be 

 13£ acres of cotton and 4^ acres each of the other crops. With 

 this as a basis, it would be an easy matter for the farmer to substitute 

 1 acre of oats and vetch for 1 acre of corn, and perhaps another acre 

 of oats, followed by Irish potatoes, for a second acre of corn, if the 

 individual case warranted it. This would require the feeding of a 

 higher proportion of oats and hay to live stock than is now fed, but 

 as the cost of producing these crops is relatively less than the cost of 

 producing corn, the change would be profitable to the farmer. Alfalfa 

 can be added to this cropping system as it is found profitable, and 

 winter cover crops can be planted in cotton to increase yields. 



o 



