Tillage, Fertilizing and Rotation 117' 



be governed by the prevailing soil and climatic condi- 

 tions ; by the kind of farming practiced ; by the demand 

 and market for particular crops that might be grown; 

 by the inclination, taste or preference of the individual ; 

 by the land and equipment available ; by the condition of 

 his land and other circumstances which can only be de- 

 cided by the individual. 



The cut-over pine lands of the South are preeminently 

 suited to the production of " sweets " and even the 

 " worn-out " cotton and tobacco farms make good yields, 

 when rotation includes leguminous crops for increasing 

 the humus-content of the soil. Newly cleared land in 

 this region produces heavy crops. As the clovers do 

 not thrive on a large part of this land wh6n planted so 

 late (sweet potatoes in this section are harvested in 

 November), such crops as oats and rye have to be de- 

 pended on for winter cover. In Virginia anji regions 

 farther north, when potatoes are dug for the early 

 markets, crimson clover may be sown for a cover-crop 

 provided the potatoes are off by September 1 to 15 in 

 New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland, and by Septem- 

 ber 30 in southern Virginia. Where the potatoes oc- 

 cupy the land too late for planting crimson clover, a 

 cover-crop of rye or of oats and vetch should be used. 



The following suggested three- and four-year rota- 

 tions are taken from Farmers Bulletin 999 of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture : 



A. For the cotton-belt, where sweet potatoes are grown as 

 a farm crop: 



1. First Tear, (a) Cotton, followed by rye for winter pas- 

 ture or as a crop to turn under; or 

 (b) Corn, with eowpeas or velvet beans 

 planted as a soil-improving crops. 



