How Use. Contracted Acres. Some Questions And Answers

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1 How Use Contracted Acres Some Questions And Answers

T HIRTY-THREE of the more important questions raised by Illinois farmers about the use and management of the acres which they have contracted to the Secretary of Agriculture under the wheat and

The answers indicate the specific uses that can be made of these acres, and they also outline the best methods of handling the land for permitted plantings, for soil-improvement purposes, and for

2 T HIRTY-THREE of the more important questions raised by Illinois farmers about the use and management of the acres which they have contracted to the Secretary of Agriculture under the wheat and corn-hog reduction programs of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration are answered in this circular. The answers indicate the specific uses that can be made of these acres, and they also outline the best methods of handling the land for permitted plantings, for soil-improvement purposes, and for weed eradication. Farmers who have entered into these contracts have an unusual opportunity to put into practice more effective soil-improvement and weed-eradication measures while receiving some rental from the land. Careful reading of this circular will, it is believed, answer most of the questions that Illinois farmers will meet in their efforts to use contracted acres in strict accordance with the spirit and letter of their contracts and in accordance with good farming practices. CONTENTS PAGE Purpose and Scope of Contracts... " Effect of Adjustment Programs on Normal Crop Production Restrictions on Use of Contracted Acres... 5 Legumes for Contracted Acres... 7 Pasture and Meadow for Contracted Acres Soil Improvement on Contracted Acres \Veed Eradication on Contracted Acres Forest Plantings Urbana, Illinois April, 1934 Printed in furtherance of the Agricultural Extension Act approved by Congress May 8, H. W. MUMFORD, Director, Agricultural Extension Service, University of Illinois

How Use Contracted Acres Under the Wheat and Corn-Hog Reduction Programs By J. C. HACKLEMAN and C. M. LINSLEY! PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF CONTRACTS 1. What are contracted acres?

to them. Because of the nature of the agreement entered into by the producer with the Secretary of Agriculture, the land so removed from production is spoken of as "contracted acres.

3 How Use Contracted Acres Under the Wheat and Corn-Hog Reduction Programs By J. C. HACKLEMAN and C. M. LINSLEY! PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF CONTRACTS 1. What are contracted acres? The wheat-production-control program of 1933 and the corn-hogreduction program now under way provide for reducing the production of two major field crops by retiring a portion of the acreage devoted to them. Because of the nature of the agreement entered into by the producer with the Secretary of Agriculture, the land so removed from production is spoken of as "contracted acres." Farmers sometimes speak of these as "idle acres," but this term is likely to cause confusion. The word "contracted" will be used thruout this discussion. 2. What has the producer promised in the contract? The producer agrees in his contract with the Secretary of Agriculture to reduce his 1934 wheat acreage by 15 percent based upon his average acreage for 1930, 1931, and 1932, and to reduce his 1934 coni acreage by not less than 20 percent based on his average acreage for 1932 and A farmer may reduce his corn acreage as much more as he desires, but he will receive no payment for reductions in excess of 30 percent unless the reduction is especially authorized by the Secretary. The signer of the contract is permitted to choose the fields or parts of fields to be covered by the contract, and is then required to identify the area or areas definitely and mark them distinctly. 3. What limitations are placed on choice of contracted acres and when are they selected? In the wheat program the only restriction on choice of acres is that the fields contracted shall be under cultivation and shall be the average of the land ordinarily seeded to wheat. In the corn program any field which has been in corn at least once in the last five years may be contracted. The area covered by the wheat contract must be set aside previous to time of inspection in The contracted acres in the corn program must be indicated on a map submitted with the contract and must IJ. C. HACKLEMAN, Professor of Crops Extension; C. M. LINSLEY, Assistant Professor of Soils Extension. 3

4 CIRCULAR 420 [April, be measured and marked prior to the visit of the Community Committee to appraise the productivity of the area chosen. 4. When are the contracted acres released?

For most farmers this will mean the designation of a different acreage about wheatseeding time, September and October, 1934.

4 4 CIRCULAR 420 [April, be measured and marked prior to the visit of the Community Committee to appraise the productivity of the area chosen. 4. When are the contracted acres released? In the wheat program the contracted acres for 1934 will be released after harvest if the producer desires to select other acres and stake them off as the contracted acres for For most farmers this will mean the designation of a different acreage about wheatseeding time, September and October, The corn contract expires December 1, 1934, and the acres designated in the contract are released at that time. Under certain specified conditions the contracted acres may be released earlier. The administrative ruling (No. 43) covering this point must be interpreted for each county by the allotment committee for that county. EFFECT OF ADJUSTMENT PROGRAMS ON NORMAL CROP PRODUCTION 5. What is the magnitude of the crop adjustment programs in Illinois? Illinois has roughly 30,000,000 acres in farms, of which an average of 18,404,000 acres was in crops during the five-year period 1929 ~933. The contracts signed for wheat reduction in the fall of 1933, together with the anticipated reduction in the corn acreage of at least 20 percent based on 1932 and 1933 averages, call for a total reduction of approximately 10.1 percent in crop area in the 1934 season. 6. How have Illinois crop acres been used in the past? The following table shows the acreage and the percentage of the total acreage that each of the more common Illinois crops occupied during the five-year period : A v erage Crop Percent Acres of total Corn...8,926, Oats and barley ,567, Tame hay...2,452, Wheat...1,872, Cowpeas and soybeans , Miscellaneous (rye, buckwheat, broomcorn, sorghum) , Vegetable crops , Potatoes , What changes do the crop adjustment programs necessitate? A cut in corn acreage equivalent to approximately 20 percent of the acreage and in the wheat acreage of 8 percent of the

1934] How USE CONTRACTED ACRES 5 1930-1932 acreage means the retiring from commercial production of 1,866,200 acres in Illinois, or 10.1 percent of the crop area of the state.

comparing the contracted acreage with the area which has usually been devoted to the production of hay. The contracted acreage is equal to 76.

5 1934] How USE CONTRACTED ACRES acreage means the retiring from commercial production of 1,866,200 acres in Illinois, or 10.1 percent of the crop area of the state. Since the contracted acres will usually become a part of the area devoted to rotation hay, pasture, or soil-improvement crops, the extent of this shift in crops can perhaps be best appreciated by comparing the contracted acreage with the area which has usually been devoted to the production of hay. The contracted acreage is equal to 76.1 percent of the average tame-hay acreage of the state for the five-year period In parts of the state where hay occupies a relatively high proportion of the land, the contracted area is equivalent to only about 26 to 30 percent of the hay area. In east-central Illinois, where corn occupies a large part of the cultivated area and where comparatively little hay is grown, the contracted acreage is. one and onehalf times as large as the usual hay acreage. RESTRICTIONS ON USE OF CONTRACTED ACRES 8. May contracted acres be used to produce a crop for harvest? When the wheat program was first launched in August, 1933, early publicity indicated that the contracted acres might be used to produce crops for home consumption or for feed for work stock on the farm. Subsequent interpretation and rulings have made such use of the contracted acres very questionable and, in general, inadvisable. The following quotation from Wheat Regulation No. 26 bears on this point: H It shall be deemed a violation of his contract for a producer who has executed a contract to shift food crops grown for home consumption on the farm or feed crops grown for the production of livestock (or livestock products) for home consumption or use on the farm, to the contracted acreage, thereby releasing other lands on the farm for the planting of crops for sale or for feed for the production of livestock or of livestock products for sale. The contracted acreage of 1934 and 1935 shall not be used to feed or to produce feed for dairy cattle, beef cattle, hogs, sheep or poultry kept for sale or kept for the sale of their products." 9. What may be done with the contracteq. acres? Following is a list of approved uses for the contracted wheat acreage: 1. Let the land lie unplanted. 2. Summer-fallow the land. 3. Plant the land to permanent pasture. 4. Plant the land to meadow crops. S. Practice weed control on the land. 6. Plant forest trees for windbreak or for farm use. 7. Plant soil-improvement crops for plowing under. The following quotation from W~eat Production Adjustment leaflet No. 11, of February 20, 1934, emphasizes the fact that the wheat contracted acres must be removed from most types of production:

6 CIRCULAR 420 [April, "These practices are advocated for the wheat-growing region as a whole. I t is left to the individual producer to decide which one or ones he prefers to adopt.

adjustment payments would be delayed, or he might not be able to get them at all.

6 6 CIRCULAR 420 [April, "These practices are advocated for the wheat-growing region as a whole. I t is left to the individual producer to decide which one or ones he prefers to adopt. "If the contract signer does not handle his withdrawn wheat acreage in one of these seven approved ways, but handles it in some other way, the burden of proof will be on him, and it might be that his adjustment payments would be delayed, or he might not be able to get them at all. Therefore, all contract signers should be urged to adopt one of the seven approved practices which the Agricultural Adjustment Administration has set forth." The above statement concerning the utilization of acres contracted to be set aside under the wheat program applies also to the contracted acres in the corn-hog program, as indicated in subsequent paragraphs herein. 10. What do contracts say about use of contracted acres? (a) The wheat contract states: "The contracted acres of 1934 and 1935 shall not include land which is waste, gullied, or eroded, and shall be the average of that on which wheat is ordinarily seeded on this farm... The contracted acreage of 1934 and 1935 shall not be used for the production of any nationally produced agricultural product for sale, but may be used as follows: Summer fallowed: planted to soil-improving or erosion-preventing crops, or the food crops for home consumption on this farm, or to feed crops for the production of livestock (or livestock products) for home consumption or use on this farm." Subsequently the regulation quoted under Question 8 was approved with the following comment: "Regulation No. 26 was therefore approved on August 31 by the Agricultural Adjustment Administration to prevent the misuse of the privilege of using contracted acres where needed for the production of products used on the farm and thus to protect the interests of dairymen, livestock producers, and special crop growers from possible injury through an increased production of their products for sale." (b) The corn-hog contract states: "The producer shall use or permit to be used the contracted acres only as may be prescribed by administrative rulings. Unless otherwise prescribed, such acres shall not be used except for planting additional permanent pasture; for soil-improving and erosion-preventing crops not to be harvested; for resting or fallowing the land; for weed eradication; or for planting farm wood-lots." 11. What crops may be grown' on the contracted acres? For the contracted wheat acres no list of crops has been prescribed. So long as the restrictions mentioned in Wheat Regulation No. 26 are observed, a farmer may grow any crop on the contracted acres that he wishes. However, it is evidently the intention of the wheat section of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, as well as the declared purpose of the corn-hog section, to emphasize the use of legumes both as a means of preventing erosion and of building up the soil. The following quotation from the wheat section approved September 18, 1933, should not be overlooked: "Using the contracted acres for producing for sale purposes such crops as corn, small grains, special crops, or feed crops, used in producing dairy and

1934] How USE CONTRACTED ACRES 7 livestock products or other crops now in surplus, or the planned shifting of these crops, normally grown elsewhere on the farm, to the contracted acreage, thereby

" The corn-hog section specifically mentions the following crops for pasture on contracted acres: alfalfa, red clover, alsike clover, white clover, sweet clover, lespedeza, bluegrass, redtop,

7 1934] How USE CONTRACTED ACRES 7 livestock products or other crops now in surplus, or the planned shifting of these crops, normally grown elsewhere on the farm, to the contracted acreage, thereby releasing other lands for general use in contributing toward production of surplus products, would be contrary to the purpose of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration." The corn-hog section specifically mentions the following crops for pasture on contracted acres: alfalfa, red clover, alsike clover, white clover, sweet clover, lespedeza, bluegrass, redtop, timothy, meadow fescue, brome grass, orchard grass, and Reed canary grass, all of which can be seeded for pasture purposes with or without a nurse crop. For a special ruling concerning the use of sweet clover for pasture in 1934, see answer to Question 21. Among the crops which can be sown for soil improvement are soybeans, cowpeas, field peas, vetch and sweet clover. These crops may also be seeded on the wheat contracted acres provided the regulations concerning those acres are observed. LEGUME S FOR CONTRACTED ACRES The rulings issued in connection with both the wheat and corn contracts specifically anticipate the seeding of. alfalfa on contracted acres. As most of one growing season is needed to establish a good alfalfa field, the contracted acres provide an' ideal opportunity for starting an alfalfa meadow while obtaining some income from the land. The first step in a legume program on many farms Many farmers are taking advantage of the opportunity provided by contracted acres to prepare for a better legume program. Limestone is needed on many areas before alfalfa, sweet clover, or other biennial clovers can be grown satisfactorily.

production relatively safe. Alfalfa may be seeded with or without a nurse crop.

8 8 CIRCULAR 420 [April, 12. What are some of the better practices in growing alfalfa? Alfalfa should be seeded only where the soil is known to be sweet enough to produce the crop and where soil tests indicate that there is a sufficient supply of available phosphorus to make its production relatively safe. Alfalfa may be seeded with or without a nurse crop. If a nurse crop is used, preference in most parts of the state should perhaps be given to oats since barley is decidedly more attractive to chinch bugs Alfalfa meadows will be started on many acres An alfalfa field like that shown above can be developed this year for use next year if the fields are properly started on land adapted to alfalfa production. than are oats, and the presence of barley near a cornfield would be a somewhat greater hazard to the corn than would a field of oats. Oats used as a nurse crop for alfalfa should be clipped before they head out. If the oats grow unusually vigorously, they should probably be clipped twice, so that no large amount of material will be left on the young alfalfa at anyone time and thus endanger the stand. Alfalfa may also be seeded alone in lvlay after a thoro preparation of the seed bed.. Seeding at that time is usually safe when the land is relatively free of weeds. Such seeding will likely require two or three clippings during the year. The final clipping should be made about the middle of August. No hay can be taken from alfalfa seeded on the contracted acres during The hay can of course be used in 1935 if the contracted acres have been released. If summer seeding of alfalfa is preferred, the ground can be plowed and thoroly prepared this spring. The seed bed should be worked at frequent intervals, thus insuring the killing of several crops

1934J How USE CONTRACTED ACRES 9 of weeds. Seeding should be done in late July or early August, so that the crop will be ready for use as hay in 1935.

Soybeans may be seeded on the contracted acres for soil-improvement purposes.

9 1934J How USE CONTRACTED ACRES 9 of weeds. Seeding should be done in late July or early August, so that the crop will be ready for use as hay in Any contracted wheat acreage so handled must be replaced by an equivalent contracted acreage in How may soybeans be utilized on contracted acres? Soybeans may be seeded on the contracted acres for soil-improvement purposes. On the wheat contracted acres they may be turned under during July or August, and the land worked down well and thoroly prepared for the seeding of wheat the coming fall. (In the corn program, however, this may be done only on those farms or in those communities where it is the practice to seed winter wheat on land that has been in corn the same season.) In the corn-hog program soybeans may be seeded on the contracted acres and..either turned under for soil-improvement purposes or allowed to remain on the land. 14. May soybeans planted on contracted acres be used after December I? Soybeans can be planted on the contracted acres in both the wheat and corn programs, but they cannot be harvested. The following quotation from the Replacement Crop Division of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration answers this question: "If soybeans are planted on the contracted acres, they must be turned under for soil improvement or allowed to remain on the land. To use the crop for seed purposes or sale purposes in any way is a violation of the contract. To grow a crop on the acres for the purpose of feeding after the expiration of the contract would be a violation." 15. Maya clover field be used for contracted acres? A clover field seeded in 1933 can be designated as contracted acres. No crop can be taken off this land, however, in 1934, but the clover can be turned under for soil-improvement purposes any time during the season. 16. May clover seed be harvested from contracted acres? This problem is still under consideration by the Agricultural Adjustment Administration. The question probably will be answered finally when the supplies of and the demand for clover and other forage seed are more definitely known. The following quotation from the Replacement Crop Division is self-explanatory: "N0 rulings have been approved by the Administration permitting the harvesting of red clover seed or other seed on contracted acreage. This matter is under consideration, but at present farmers must be advised that the contract clauses and regulations in regard to the use of contracted acreage must be adhered to."

A good soil-improvement crop for contracted acres Soybeans turned under for soil improvement will pay big dividends in the next few years.

10 10 CIRCULAR 420 [April, Red clover is excellent in hay and pasture mixtures This general-purpose legume should be included in hay and pasture mixtures seeded on contracted acres this year. Soils too sour or too wet to grow red clover (see page 13) may still grow good crops of alsike clover. A good soil-improvement crop for contracted acres Soybeans turned under for soil improvement will pay big dividends in the next few years. Like cowpeas and lespedeza, they will grow on soils too sour or too low in fertility to produce alfalfa or any of the clovers, if the right varieties are planted.

1934] How USE CONTRACTED ACRES 11 17. Where a stand of clover cannot be depended on, is there any legume aside from cowpeas and soybeans which can be used?

It has also done well on the lighter soils of central Illinois as far north as Quincy and Urbana and has been grown with more or less success in counties farther north.

11 1934] How USE CONTRACTED ACRES Where a stand of clover cannot be depended on, is there any legume aside from cowpeas and soybeans which can be used? Lespedeza has been used thruout southern Illinois with excellent results. It has also done well on the lighter soils of central Illinois as far north as Quincy and Urbana and has been grown with more or less success in counties farther north. Soils in northern Illinois that are capable of producing alsike clover will no doubt produce more of this biennial clover than of the annuallespedeza. PASTURE AND MEADOW FOR CONTRACTED ACRES 18. Maya pasture be started on the contracted acres this year? The establishment of new pasture, like the establishment of a meadow, is specifically provided for in both the wheat and corn contracts. Since one full year is usually needed in order to establish a good pasture, the contract gives a farmer an opportunity to obtain income from these acres while establishing a good permanent pasture. Legumes and grasses specifically permitted to be used for additional permanent pasture on corn contracted acres are listed under Question 11. Under the wheat program any contracted acres used in 1934 for the establishment of a pasture on which stock are to be grazed must be replaced by an additional acreage for May the contracted acres be pastured? The contracted acres "shall not be used to feed or to produce feed for dairy cattle, beef cattle, hogs, sheep or poultry kept for sale or kept for the sale of their products" (Wheat Regulation No. 26). The use of pasture acres for feed for livestock to be used for home consumption will be approved only when such use does not result in a shift of other pasture land on the farm to the contracted acres. Restrictions concerning the use for pasture of acres contracted under the corn-hog program are more specific. The following quotation from Administrative Ruling No. 20 relating to the corn-hog contracts helps to answer this question: "The term 'additional permanent pasture' means pasture in addition to the average number of acres which were devoted to pasture in The additional pasture can be planted with bluegrass, redtop, timothy, meadow fescue, red clover, alsike clov.er, white clover, alfalfa, lespedeza, brome grass or orchard grass, with or without a nurse crop. This newly seeded additional pasture may be grazed in 1934 provided no nurse crop is used. In no event can such crop be harvested for hay." This ruling simply means that no farmer is permitted to pasture the acres contracted in the corn-hog program unless he has on his farm in 1934 at least as many acres of pasture as he averaged during the

12 CIRCULAR 420 [April, two years 1932 and 1933. Contract signers who have this acreage probably will not need the additional pasture.

May sweet clover be included in the pasture seedings? ' Any contract signer who desires to use the new additional pasture during the season of 1934 must omit sweet clover from the mixture.

12 12 CIRCULAR 420 [April, two years 1932 and Contract signers who have this acreage probably will not need the additional pasture. If an operator is really interested in obtaining a good pasture, he will find it very much better to allow the new seeding to stand the entire season in order to become well established. 20. May sweet clover be included in the pasture seedings? ' Any contract signer who desires to use the new additional pasture during the season of 1934 must omit sweet clover from the mixture. If he is establishing a pasture that is not to be used before 1935, he may seed sweet clover if he cares to. 21. May sweet clover be used as rotation pasture? Nothing in the contract prohibits a signer from utilizing sweet clover as rotation pasture in 1935, assuming that it has been seeded on the contracted acres in 1934 with or without a nurse crop, but he is not permitted to pasture such see dings in If oats are used as a nurse crop for meadow or pasture seedings, may the oats be cut for hay? The harvesting of a hay crop from the contracted acres would certainly be contrary to the purpose of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration even under the wheat contract, and it is specifically prohibited in the corn-hog contract. Any farmer who harvests for hay any oats grown as a nurse crop on wheat contracted acres will find it difficult to convince the allotment committee that he has not thereby released additional land for cultivation and violated Regulation No. 26 of the wheat program. His adjustment payments would probably be delayed and they might even be canceled. 23. What meadow or hay crops may be used where the soil is too acid for alfalfa? There is no restriction on the meadow crops that may be grown, but no hay may be removed in For suggested hay mixtures for different types of soils and different levels of fertility see answer to Question 26 on the next page. 24. Mayan old pasture be reseeded and pastured in 1934 as part of the contracted acres?. The answer to Question 8 covers the above question so far as wheat contracted acres are concerned. Under the corn contract it is not permissible to reseed old pasture and graze it because such pasture cannot be considered "newly seeded, additional permanent pasture."

The fact that some of the old pasture grass remains from the seedings made prior to 1934 prevents such an area from being considered as newly seeded permanent pasture as described in the answer to

In establishing a pasture or a meadow it is usually advisable to seed it at oat-seeding time or as soon thereafter as possible.

13 The fact that some of the old pasture grass remains from the seedings made prior to 1934 prevents such an area from being considered as newly seeded permanent pasture as described in the answer to Question 19, page ] How USE CONTRACTED ACRES What is the best method of starting a meadow or pasture mixture on the contracted acres? In establishing a pasture or a meadow it is usually advisable to seed it at oat-seeding time or as soon thereafter as possible. In southern Illinois it is also considered good practice to sow grass crops at fall wheat-seeding time. In Illinois a nurse crop is generally thought advisable when seeding meadow and pasture mixtures. As previously stated in answer to Question 12, if the pasture niixture is seeded with a nurse crop, the small grain or oat crop should be clipped some time before it heads and should be allowed to remain on the land as a mulch. On the better soils this should be done before the growth becomes vigorous enough to smother the young seedlings. It may be necessary to clip the oats two different times rather than to take the chance of damaging the seeding with one heavy clipping. The nurse crop should, as a rule, be seeded at considerably less than the normal rate. When oats or barley are used as the nurse crop, a half-bushel to three pecks is an ample seeding. 26. What mixtures are recommended for hay and for pasture? The following mixtures are suggested for the contracted acres or for any other land on the farm where a meadow or a pasture is to be established. The amounts indicated are for use either with or without a nurse crop. SOILS SLIGHTLY TO MEDIUM ACID, AND MEDIUM TO Low IN AVAILABLE PHOSPHORUS MEADOW PASTURE Pounds Pounds p,er acre p,er acre Mixture No. j1 Mixture No. 1 Red clover... 3 Alsike clover Alsike clover Lespedeza... 4 Timothy... 5 Timothy... 3 Redtop... 4 Redtop... 3 Kentucky bluegrass... 4 Mixture No.2 White clover Alsike clover Lespedeza... 5 Mixture No.2 Timothy... 5 Lespedeza... 6 Redtop... 4 Timothy... 5 Redtop... 4 Canada bluegrass... 6 ISoils showing medium to high phosphorus content will usually produce red clover despite a one- to two-ton lime requirement. For soils too poor for red clover, use Mixture No.2.

14 CIRCULAR 420 [April, SOILS SWEET AND MEDIUM TO HIGH IN AVAILABLE PHOSPHORUS MEADOW Pounds per acre Mixture No. P Alfalfa... 4 Red clover.......... 3 Alsike clover.................. 2 Timothy.

................ 2 Alsike clover.................. 2 White clover.................. 2 Mixture No. ~ Sweet clover............... 3 Red clover................. 2 Alsike clover.................. 2 Bluegrass.

14 14 CIRCULAR 420 [April, SOILS SWEET AND MEDIUM TO HIGH IN AVAILABLE PHOSPHORUS MEADOW Pounds per acre Mixture No. P Alfalfa... 4 Red clover Alsike clover Timothy... 5 Mixture No. (!l Red clover Alsike clover Timothy PASTURE Pounds per acre Mixture No. 1 Kentucky bluegrass... 4 Timothy... 3 Redtop... 3 Red clover Alsike clover White clover Mixture No. ~ Sweet clover Red clover Alsike clover Bluegrass... 4 Timothy... 3 lif a pasture is desired after one or two years of meadow, 2 pounds of bluegrass may be added. 2If field is poorly drained, 5 pounds of redtop may well be substituted for the red clover. 3Because of the special ruling on sweet clover (see answer to Question 21), contracted acres planted to this mixture cannot be pastured in SOIL I,MPROVEM~NT ON CONTRACTED ACRES 27. What opportunity do the corn and wheat contracts offer for soil improvement? The corn and wheat reduction programs offer farmers the opportunity to make a substantial start toward restoring the fertility of soils worn out by years of faulty cropping methods. Much of the land in Illinois has been depleted of nitrogen and active organic matter by years of grain cropping without clovers. The growing of red clover, sweet clover, alfalfa, and other legumes regularly in the rotation will replenish the supply of these much-needed materials. On many soils limestone will have to be applied before these legumes can be grown successfully. With the government paying a fair rental on this land for not planting it to corn and wheat, an unusual opportunity is open to farmers to develop a legume-limestone soil-improvement plan. 28. What are some of the more important soil requirements of the different legumes? Legumes have definite soil requirements, which vary with different kinds of legumes. Within a single field the soils may vary from sweet to strongly acid and from low to high in available phosphorus; hence, the necessity of a systematic test. Sweet clover requires a soil that is sweet and "slight" to high in available phosphorus.

Soybeans and cowpeas, like lespedeza, will tolerate strong acidity but their growth will be considerably less on acid soils than on sweet or on only slightly acid soils. 29.

15 1934J How U SE CONTRACTED ACRES 15 Alfalfa requires a soil that is sweet and is medium to high in available phosphorus. Lespedeza will produce a stand on soils too acid and too low in available phosphorus for any of the above legumes, but the growth on strongly acid, low-phosphorus soils will be disappointing. Soybeans and cowpeas, like lespedeza, will tolerate strong acidity but their growth will be considerably less on acid soils than on sweet or on only slightly acid soils. 29. How decide what legumes will grow on the contracted acres? The choice of a legume to seed on the contracted acres depends largely upon the acidity of the soil and its phosphorus content. Where the land is well drained and has been adequately limed and phosphated, the problem of choosing a legume for the contracted acres is simple, for any of them can be grown. On many of the farms, however, the soil of the contracted acres will be too acid or too low in available phosphorus for many of these legumes. Unless farmers test those soils for acidity and available phosphorus, they will throwaway a tremendous amount of money in clover and alfalfa seed. Simple tests will tell what soil is best suited for a given legume. For example, some soils will grow red clover but not alfalfa or sweet clover. Other soils are better adapted to sweet clover than to alfalfa or red clover, while still others are not adapted to any of these legumes, and unless lime and phosphate can be applied as needed, legumes with less exacting soil requirements such as soybeans, cowpeas, or lespedeza, should be planted. Directions for making these tests are given in Circular 346 of this Station, a copy of which will be furnished free on request. 30. Should legumes seeded on contracted acres be inoculated? Any legume should be inoculated unless there is absolute certainty that the soil is already well inoculated. Inoculated legumes build up the soil. Uninoculated legumes are soil robbers. Inoculation increases yields and improves the quality of the crop. Good inoculation is assured if a good crop of the legume being seeded has been grown within the last two or three years. Before seeding common clovers on soils that have not produced clovers for several years, it is just as important to inoculate the soil with the proper organism as it is when seeding alfalfa or sweet clover. Inoculation is especially necessary on land which, previously too sour to produce clovers, has only recently been put into condition to grow them by applications of limestone.

This ruling will enable cooperating farmers in fifty or more counties in northern and north-central Illinois to wage a determined fight on the Canada thistle and quack-grass patches on their farms.

16 16 CIRCULAR 420 [Apr'ii, WEED ERADICATION ON CONTRACTED ACRES 31. May contracted acres be utilized in a weed-control program? The utilizing of contracted acreage in a weed-control program has been specifically approved by both the wheat and the corn-hog sections of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration. This ruling will enable cooperating farmers in fifty or more counties in northern and north-central Illinois to wage a determined fight on the Canada thistle and quack-grass patches on their farms. While there are no regulations thus far as to the minimum size of the patches which, taken together, will constitute the contracted acres on a given farm, it is advisable to make all such areas rectangular in shape and to be sure that the total acreage is ample to provide the amount required to be taken out of cultivation... The wheat and the corn reduction programs provide an unusual opportunity for every farmer to put on a determined drive to eradicate these weeds. In the corn-hog program the division of the compensation between the tenant and the landowner gives the tenant sufficient remuneration to enable him to spend the time necessary to control these weeds on the contracted areas. The share going to the landlord is usually sufficient to pay taxes and help defray other necessary expenses during the time that the weed-control fight is on. 32. How should an operator proceed to fight noxious weeds on the contracted acres? Consider first the Canada thistle. This weed makes its appearance rather late in the spring. It can be eradicated by the summerfallow method. Infested areas should be plowed as soon as growth appears. Plowing should be followed immediately by thoro disking in order to cut into as fine pieces as possible any of the root stalks that were shallow enough to be in the furrow slice. Thereafter the areas should be thoroly cultivated as often as green growth makes its appearance. In the early part of the season this means about once every week to ten days. If, in the latter part of June or early July weather conditions are such as to produce a very rapid growth that cannot be controlled by dis king, a somewhat deeper plowing should be given the infested areas, followed immediately by thoro disking and then by cultivating as often as necessary to keep down top growth. Deep plowing may also be necessary the last thing in the fall. The success of the project depends upon strict adherence to a definite plan, as outlined above. If the plants are permitted at any time to develop large growth above ground they will manufacture plant food and replenish the depleted root stalk, thus nullifying all the previous work.

1934] How USE CONTRACTED ACRES 17 The disk is probably the implement most commonly used in cultivating the land at regular intervals during the process of eradication.

Where the fight has been vigorously pursued and practically no weeds are showing the last of July or the first of August, a seeding of alfalfa on soils adapted to this crop will usually complete the

17 1934] How USE CONTRACTED ACRES 17 The disk is probably the implement most commonly used in cultivating the land at regular intervals during the process of eradication. The quack-grass digger, with sharp sweeps or blades, or the regular corn cultivator, with especially sharp blades, may also be used. Where the fight has been vigorously pursued and practically no weeds are showing the last of July or the first of August, a seeding of alfalfa on soils adapted to this crop will usually complete the destruction of this weed. If there is no question but that the thistles have been entirely eradicated by wheat seeding time, wheat contracted acres can be seeded to winter wheat. In sections of the state where Administrative Ruling C-H 43 permits, the corn contracted acres can also be seeded to wheat. If there is any question at the end of the first season about all thistles having been killed, only a cultivated crop such as corn should be planted on infested areas the second year. The seed bed should be thoroly prepared and a sharp-bladed cultivator used for corn cultivation. Even the hand hoe should be employed where necessary. Permanent eradication of the Canada thistle depends upon the complete destruction of every plant. The other weed to be considered in this program is quack grass. Land infested with this weed should be plowed early-the latter part Work on weed eradication should be started early Where weeds, especially Canada thistle or quack grass, occupy land to be seeded to alfalfa, the fight to destroy them should begin early. After these weeds are under control, or practically killed out, a smoothing harrow may be used to complete the preparation of the seed bed, which should have a mellow surface and a firm subsurface.

18 18 CIRCULAR 420 of April or the first of May. It should then be worked down with a special quack-grass digger or cultivator if available; if not, a springtoothed harrow will work fairly well, especially if the fight is started early. Cultivations must be kept up at regular intervals during May, June, and possibly July. Do not delay more than 10 days between cultivations. Direct the cultivations at right angles to each other so that the greatest number of roots will be dragged out on top of the ground to dry out and die. Where special quack-grass cultivators are used, particularly on heavily infested areas, the quack-grass roots will probably have to be raked and burned. Land that has been thoroly cultivated in the above manner can be cleared of quack grass in one year. Practically any perennial weed, such as bind weed, horse nettles, milk weed, red sorrel, etc., can be eradicated by the summer-fallow method. On land that is subject to erosion or sneet washing, the eradication of weeds by the above methods presents some problems. If the slope is not too steep, trouble may be avoided by working across it. Where there is enough slope to cause serious erosion, it is impractical to attempt weed eradication by these methods. FOREST PLANTINGS 33. Are there other uses to which contracted acres may be put? Another approved use for contracted acres, recognized by both the wheat and corn-hog programs, is that of planting them in forest trees for windbreaks or other farm uses. Special questions regarding the kinds of trees to plant or methods of handling them will be answered thru correspondence.

19 Further questions may be addressed to Agricultural Adjustment Administration, College of Agriculture, Urbana, Illinois. lsm-4-34-s489 20M-4-34-SS21

20 W E MAP OF FARM AND CONTRACTED ACRES 20 acres CORN NORTH o.. " " 'I " r. :: '. ",. '1,I ",; Ii " " :: " ṇ. S John Smith, owner A T E S T SOUTH The above map of a loo-acre farm operated under a crop-share lease, one landlord, shows the location of 20 acres contracted in the corn-hog reduction program. It is drawn up on Form C-H 16, Production Division, Agricultural Adjustment Administration. Note that the name of the owner, not the operator, and the crop grown on the field in 1933 are placed on the diagram of the contracted acres. The dotted lines indicate a farm lane. The small square indicates the location of the house; and the double lines at the top indicate a public road.

T IVESTOCK CAN PROFITABLY be kept on pasture for six or. L seven months of the year, or even longer, if the pasture is good,

By W. L. BURLISO,Professor of Crop P roduction T IVESTOCK CAN PROFITABLY be kept on pasture for six or L seven months of the year, or even longer, if the pasture is good, productive, and well managed.