348 FIELD CROP PRODUCTION 



has been made plain by lower yields and depleted soils. 

 Rotations are now being practiced more generally, the 

 growing of live stock is becoming more important, and the 

 use of barnyard manure is increasing, all of which will in 

 time show a marked influence upon the yields obtained. 

 Commercial fertilizers are more commonly used in the 

 South than in any other section of the country. They 

 have made possible the growing of profitable crops of 

 cotton on naturally poor soils, and have been used with 

 success on almost all types of soil, resulting in larger yields 

 of cotton. On soils depleted of humus and low in nitrogen, 

 fertilizers having a high percentage of nitrogen give the 

 best results. Both potash and phosphoric acid are 

 applied with profit on most soils, especially when used in 

 connection with barnyard manure. 



METHODS OF CULTURE 



367. Preparing the land. — The time of plowing the 

 land for cotton depends largely upon the system of crop 

 rotation that is in practice. In many cases, cotton follows 

 cotton, which means that the preparation of the land for 

 the next year's crop consists first of disposing of the stalks 

 of the preceding crop. This is usually done in one of 

 two ways : either they are raked down and burned or they 

 are cut up with the stalk cutter and plowed under. 

 The latter method is to be recommended, since to burn 

 them is to rob the soil of humus. Sometimes a catch 

 crop of vetch or bur clover is seeded in the fall and is 

 plowed under early in the spring. When a rotation of 

 crops is practiced, the time of plowing will depend upon 

 the preceding crop and upon the nature of the soil. Fall, 

 winter, or spring plowing may be practiced, and, in a 

 general way, the same general principles must be con- 



