6 BULLETIN 135, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
BEHAVIOR OF CROPS ON NEWLY CULTIVATED SOIL. 
Crops planted on newly broken land on the farms in this locality 
have been in most cases partial or total failures. Because of the 
refractory nature of the soil, it is generally difficult to secure a good 
stand. Even though a fair stand is secured, the growth of the plants 
is generally very irregular. (See fig. 2.) A very stunted growth, and 
Fig. 2.— Rye in field M-I on June 21, 1911, showing the irregular growth characteristic of crops en the 
unreclaimed soil. 
in some cases no growth at all, occurs on spots that were barren of 
native vegetation before the ground was broken up. 
METHODS OF SOIL TREATMENT. 
Three methods of soil treatment were practiced during 1911 and 
1912, after plowing under the green-manure crop in 1911, on fields 
M-I and M-II, as shown in figure 3. Field M-I is divided into 19 
plats. Plats 1 to 14, inclusive, are one-fourth of an acre and plats 
15 to 19, inclusive, are one-sixth of an acre in size. Field M-II con- 
tains 6f acres, not divided into plats. The three methods are described 
as follows: 
First method. — The first method was a continuation of the treatment applied in 1911. 
Rye was planted again in the fall of 1911 and was plowed under as green manure in 
June, 1912. Each season after the rye was plowed under the land was left fallow 
during the summer and given frequent cultivations with the disk and harrow. This 
method was applied on plats 1 to 12, inclusive, on field M-I and to all of field M-II. 
Plats 1, 2, and a part of plat 3 in field M-I were subsoiled in June, 1911. Plats 7, 8, 
and 9 in field M-I were planted to corn in July, 1911, but the growth was very small 
and irregular, and no crop was secured. 
