SERICEA AND OTHER PERENNIAL LESPEDEZAS 39 



rains cannot reach the soil surface directly and in winter the 

 living crowns and roots bind the soil. The stubble from a har- 

 vested crop also serves as an obstruction to the flow of water. 

 When sericea is planted for wildlife, in gullies, or on isolated places 

 that need protection, the accumulation of leaves and stems soon 

 forms a dense cover that protects the soil from beating rains and 

 slows run-off. 



In Caldwell County, N. C, a 50-acre eroded field was seeded to 

 sericea in 1933 and by 1937 the small gullies had healed and 

 erosion had been completely controlled (fig. 14). In Weakley 

 County, Tenn., a 12-acre gullied field was so smoothed in 2 years 

 that erosion was completely controlled. In Kentucky a badly 

 eroded field was seeded to sericea without any attempt to smooth 

 small gullies; yet in 3 years these were being perceptively filled 

 and erosion was no longer a problem. On various soil conserva- 

 tion projects sericea has controlled erosion on critical slopes, 

 banks, and eroded fields and in gullies. 



SERICEA IN THE SOIL CONSERVATION PROGRAM 



In the soil conservation program plants are needed that will 

 control erosion, improve the soil, and at the same time return 

 some revenue. In the area to which sericea is especially adapted 

 the soils on which erosion is to be controlled are in the main soils 

 of low productivity, and large revenues are not to be expected 

 if the soil is to be protected and improved. 



Throughout the region to which it is adapted sericea may be 

 used on all areas that because of slope, erodibility of soil, or un- 

 productiveness should be retired from cultivation for long periods 

 or permanently. It is but natural that the farmer should want 

 to derive some revenue, and this can be provided by sericea 

 if proper attention is paid to getting the stand and to subsequent 

 care and utilization. 



Experiments and field trials using sericea in rotations have 

 been under way at experiment stations in Alabama, Tennessee, 

 Virginia, and at Watkinsville, Ga., for several years. Extensive 

 use of this crop in short rotations is unlikely because it is some- 

 times difficult to secure a good stand; the first year's growth is 

 slow and almost certain to be weedy, and sericea does not supply 

 a dependable harvestable crop until the second year. Most farmers 

 require at least one harvested crop each year. 



Sericea does have application in 4-year or longer rotations to 

 suit farm conditions where a deep-rooted perennial legume that 

 will "pay its own way" is wanted for gradual soil improvement 

 over a period of years and when neither time nor available acreage 

 are limiting factors. 



In addition to the 4-year sericea-base rotation previously men- 

 tioned, another fairly satisfactory 4-year forage crop rotation has 

 been in observational trials at the Watkinsville station for several 

 years. The crop successions are as follows : 



(1) Oats for grain, sericea seeded. 



(2) Sericea, cut twice for hay. 



