FARM MANAGEMENT IN CATAWBA COUNTY, X. C. 21 
Rotation 1. — Five-year crop rotation for Catawba County, X. C, and other southern 
Piedmont areas. 
First year. Cotton. After first year's cotton is picked the land may be plowed in 
winter for second-year cotton crop. 
Second year. — Cotton. Planted to rye or crimson-clover cover crop, to be plowed 
under in spring for third-year corn crop. 
Third year. — Corn. Peas or soy beans planted in corn: seed picked, vines disked in, 
small grain sown in October or November; seeded to red clover in February or 
March. 
Fourth year. Small Grain. If clover catches, make one cutting of clover hay; 
otherwise pea or soy bean hay, and then seed to crimson clover. 
Fifth year. Hay. One cutting of red-clover hay, or save crimson-clover seed, disk 
or plow stubble, and plant peas and soy beans for hay. In fall and winte r 
plow for sixth-year cotton. 
The five-year rotation may be shortened one year by omitting one 
hay crop, in which case the farm should be arranged in four fields, 
two of these planted to cotton, one to corn, and one to small grains, 
the corn, of course, being followed by cowpeas or soy beans, and the 
small grain by the same legumes sown broadcast and harvested for 
hay. This gives 50 per cent of the land to cotton, 25 to corn, 25 to 
small grain, with a summer crop of hay of 25 per cent. A second 
method of shortening the five into a four-year rotation is to drop 
one year of cotton; this brings the cotton acreage down to 25 per 
cent, leaves 25 per cent in corn, 25 per cent in small grain with clover 
as a possible fall hay crop, and 25 per cent in clover hay for the June 
cutting. This rotation will not produce as large a gross income as 
will the five-year rotation with 40 per cent cotton or the four-year 
with 50 per cent cotton. However, the expense will not be quite so 
great and the ultimate net result may possibly be a little greater. It 
is not difficult to make either of the transitions suggested. (Rota- 
tion 2.) 
Rotation 2. — Four-year crop rotation for Catawba County, X. C, and other southern 
Piedmont areas. 
First year. Cotton. Planted in April or May; picked from September to December; 
land available to plow from late fall to middle of spring. 
Second year. Cotton. Planted in April or May: first picking in September; plant 
cover crop: land available for spring plowing. 
Third year. Corn. Planted in April or May; at last workiug, plant cowpeas in 
middles for seed and humus crop; small grain planted in fall. 
Fourth year. Small Grain. Harvested in June: cowpeas or other summer legumes 
for hay or seed: land available to plow from late fall to spring. 
The three-year rotation has been recommended throughout the 
Piedmont region more extensively than any other and is perhaps the 
basis of rotations wherever we find them now followed. (Rotation 3.) 
