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AGRICULTURAL
NEWS LETTER
THE

FEDERAL

Volume IV
L E G U M E S

RESERVE

BANK

Dallas, Texas, September 15,1949
I N C R E A S E

Legum es, such as H ubam and M adrid
clover, alfalfa, hairy vetch, and singletary
peas, increase farm income through higher
yields of cotton, corn, grain sorghums, wheat,
and other crops by building soil fertility and
aiding in the control of erosion. They are also
valuable as cash crops when harvested for seed
or hay. A striking illustration of increased
cotton yields resulting from the use of H u­
bam clover is found in a 3-year experiment
at the Texas A. & M. Experiment Station at
Temple, where the use of this legume in­
creased cotton yields more than 100 percent.
This higher yield meant an increase in income
per acre of nearly $40 on the basis of 10-year
average prices of cotton and cottonseed. Use
of Hubam clover in the rotation also reduced
materially the amount of root rot infestation.
In the check plot where cotton was grown
continuously, nearly 40 percent of the cotton
plants were dead by early September, while in
the field where a rotation of cotton and H u­
bam clover was followed, less than 4 percent
of the plants were dead by early September.
An average of 3 52 pounds per acre of Hubam
clover seed, valued at about $3 5, was har­
vested annually, further increasing farm in­
come.

F A R M

OF

DALLAS
Number 9
I N C O M E

Results similar to those experienced at the
Temple station have been obtained in many
areas throughout Texas, but more typical
yield increases for cotton and corn are illus­
trated below.
In the "Wichita irrigated valley in north
T exas, results o f a 12-year experiment
showed that the addition of alfalfa to the
rotation increased the gross income $23.04 per
acre per year, based on 1947 farm prices. A
4-year rotation, including alfalfa as a legume
for two years followed by one year of cotton
and one year of feterita, produced an average
annual return per acre of $92.04, while a ro­
tation of cotton, oats, and feterita yielded an
average annual return of only $58.68.
Results of experiments at College Station,
Nacogdoches, and Tyler indicate that plow­
ing under vetch and other legumes increased
the yield of cotton 40 to 60 percent. These
increases in cotton yields gave a return of
$1.50 to $3.00 for each dollar spent for vetch
seed and fertilizer for the vetch crop. The use
of Austrian winter peas on a blackland farm
near Lancaster, Texas, increased the yield of
cotton 40 percent, and at Grapevine, Texas,

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AGRICULTURAL NEWS LETTER

the use of vetch as a legume in a rotation with
corn increased corn yields as much as 200
percent. Similar results have been obtained by
hundreds of Texas farmers.
Use of legumes increases soil fertility and
reduces erosion, thereby increasing the poten­
tial earning capacity of the farm, as well as
present income. Legumes, when properly in­
oculated, have the ability to extract nitrogen
from the air and store it in the soil in a form
that can be utilized by other plants. Thus
when a legume crop is plowed under, it adds
not only valuable humus to the soil but also
large quantities of nitrogen. It has been esti­
mated that the amount of nitrogen added to
the soil by plowing under a vetch crop— in­
cluding the nitrogen in the plant, as well as
that taken from the air and stored in the soil
— may be as high as 90 pounds per acre. At
present fertilizer prices, this would be the
equivalent of commercial nitrogen fertilizer
costing about $25.
The increased amount of organic matter
returned to the soil by legumes, plus the fact
that their roots penetrate several feet into the
ground, breaking up hard pans and loosening
the soil, increases the water-holding capacity
and reduces runoff. In tests conducted by the
Soil Conservation Service in Tarrant County,
it was found that on a field which had been
sown to Madrid clover for two years and on
which there was a volunteer stand of Madrid
clover at the time of the test the soil ab­
sorbed water at the rate of 714 inches per
hour. In contrast to this high rate of infiltra­
tion, a test on a part of the same field which
was in Sudan grass (oats had been grown on
this side of the field the previous year) re­
sulted in a water absorption rate of only %
inch per hour. These tests were run within 3 6
hours after a 4- to 6-inch rain had fallen in
the area and showed that the ability of the
soil to absorb water was increased 30 times by
use of Madrid clover. Similar tests in other
areas have shown comparable results. The
value of such practices in the control of ero­
sion, elimination of floods, and reduction of
siltation in streams and reservoirs is well illus­
trated by the results of such tests.

Maximum benefit from use of legumes as
soil-building crops, as well as higher yields of
legume seed and hay, has been obtained when
fertilizer was applied liberally. Apparently the
legume facilitates the use of fertilizers by sub­
sequent crops by making the plant food more
available. A Freestone County, Texas, farmer
harvested about 300 pounds of vetch seed per
acre from the field that received an applica­
tion of 200 pounds of 20-percent superphos­
phate per acre and reported that the field
which received no fertilizer did not produce
enough seed to harvest. At Nacogdoches the
application of 400 pounds of 4-8-4 fertilizer
per acre to the vetch crop increased cotton
yields the follow ing year 20-percent more
than unfertilized vetch.
Legumes should be planted in the fall for
best results, except sweet clovers (Hubam,
Melilotus indica, Madrid, or other biannuals),
which should be sown in the late winter or
spring. They are usually planted following
cotton or corn and, therefore, serve as a
winter cover crop. The spring-seeded clovers
are usually overseeded on small grains.
It is important that the legume chosen for
use in the rotation be one that is adapted to
the soil and climatic conditions of the com ­
munity. Considerable study has been devoted
to this problem, and representatives of several
agencies interested in improving Texas agri­
culture have prepared a map showing the
areas adapted to the various legumes. On the
reverse side of the map is shown the time of
planting, rate of seeding, and fertilizer rec­
ommendations. Copies of this map may be
obtained by writing the Research Department
of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas or
county agricultural agents.

FARM MANAGEMENT
Early Destruction of Cotton Stalks
Aids in Insect Control
Early, thorough destruction of cotton stalks
on all farms in a community has proved to
be an effective method of reducing boll weevil
infestation, according to A. C. Gunter, asso­
ciate extension entomologist of Texas A. & M.
College. While only a limited number o f
Texas counties are required by law, under the

AGRICULTURAL NEWS LETTER
pink bollworm control program, to destroy
cotton stalks immediately following cotton
harvest, the results of stalk destruction, wher­
ever practiced, have demonstrated that it re­
duces boll weevil infestation materially the
following year. For example, in 1947 in Wil­
liamson County, Texas, destruction of cotton
stalks was completed immediately following
harvest under an organized program partici­
pated in by most farmers of the County. Sur­
rounding counties had no such program of
stalk destruction. The following year field
surveys revealed that W illiamson C ounty
farmers had an average of less than 10 percent
punctured squares in their cotton fields, while
cotton fields in surrounding counties had an
average o f 30 to 40 percent punctured
squares. Lower Rio Grande Valley farmers
estimate that their early clean-up program,
followed on a community-wide basis in con­
nection with pink bollworm control, results
in an average increase of one-fourth bale per
acre. Mr. Gunter says that plowing under
cotton stalks early—not later than the first
frost— is the most dependable method of con­
trolling boll weevils.
Stalks should be cut low and into small
pieces to facilitate working them into the soil,
thus adding valuable organic matter to the
land. Plowing the stalks under early in the
fall permits the plant food contained in this
organic matter to be made available for a
crop the following season. Furthermore, early
destruction of cotton stalks facilitates the
seeding of a legume or small grain crop,
which will conserve soil and water and add
further to the plant food available for subse­
quent crops.
Increased Fertilizer Supplies for 1950
Reports indicate that there probably will
be increases in fertilizer supplies for 1950
amounting to about 2 5 percent in nitrogen
fertilizers, 10 to 12 percent in potash mate­
rials, and 1 5 percent in phosphate fertilizers,
according to M. K. Thornton, extension agri­
cultural chemist of Texas A. & M. College.
Mr. Thornton urges farmers to buy their fer­
tilizer well in advance of the time when it
will be needed, to insure an adequate supply.

3

Recommended Oat Varieties for Texas
Strains of red oats or improved varieties de­
rived from crosses of red oats are generally
satisfactory for Texas farmers, according to
Dr. J. E. Adams, head of the Department of
Agronomy of Texas A. & M. College. The
Red Rustproof group is the most widely
adapted, while the early maturing Fulghum
varieties can be used for spring seeding in cer­
tain areas.
In the Red Rustproof group, which are
moderately hardy and suitable for either fall
or spring seeding over most of Texas, New
Nortex and Ferguson 922 are generally rec­
ommended for northcentral and R olling
Plains areas. Ranger, Rustler, Alber, and C a­
mellia are rust-resistant varieties adapted to
south Texas. They are lacking in cold-resist­
ance and should not be grown north of Aus­
tin.
Stanton, a yellow grain variety, is more
winter hardy than New Nortex and is also
resistant to leaf rust but is susceptible to
Helminthosporium blight. This variety has
given satisfactory yields in the northcentral
and Low Rolling Plains areas.
In the early maturing Fulghum group of
oats, Fultex, a leaf rust-resistant variety espe­
cially suited for combine harvesting, produces
grain of high test weight and is well adapted
to fall or winter seeding in the Plains area
and for spring seeding in northcentral Texas.
Victorgrain, a variety similar to Fultex, has
not yielded as well under Texas conditions.
Wintok, Fulwin, and Tennex are the most
winter-hardy varieties of oats but because of
their high susceptibility to rusts are not well
adapted to Texas conditions. Additional in­
formation on oat varieties for Texas can be
obtained from county agricultural agents or
by writing the Texas Agricultural Experi­
ment Station for a copy of Progress Report
No. 1164.

Hints to Dairymen
Dairymen are urged to make plans for fall
and winter grazing and, if necessary, plan to

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AGRICULTURAL NEWS LETTER

supplement pastures with plenty of highquality hay and silage. R. E. Burleson, asso­
ciate extension dairy husbandman of Texas
A. & M. College, says that small grains make
excellent fall and winter grazing. He rec­
ommends at least one acre of this pasture for
each cow in the herd.

by the Production and Marketing Adminis­
tration, United States Department of A gri­
culture, Dallas, Texas. These reports provide
growers with an accurate indication of cur­
rent cottonseed prices, enabling them to keep
in closer touch with market prices for this
important commodity.

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

The cottonseed report may be obtained by
writing local United States Department o f
Agriculture cotton classing offices or Mr. John
McCollum at 1104 South Ervay Street, D al­
las 1, Texas.

Hog Cholera Still a Menace
Hog cholera continues to take a heavy
death toll of swine on southwestern farms,
although the use of a strict sanitation pro­
gram and vaccinations can provide complete
control of this menace to the swine producer.
Outbreaks of the disease have occurred in re­
cent months, indicating that many farmers
are not taking the necessary precautions to
prevent infection of their hogs.
Vaccination when properly administered by
a trained veterinarian is effective in prevent­
ing hog cholera. There is no cure once the
disease has attacked the animals, and farmers
are urged to consult their local veterinarian
or county agricultural agent for details of a
successful vaccination program.
Report on Control of Foot and
Mouth Disease
The Mexican-United States Commission for
the eradication of foot and mouth disease has
announced the completion of the first vac­
cination of all susceptible animals in the quar­
antine zone of Mexico. This is considered a
major accomplishment in the program to
eradicate the disease from the area. To reach
this milestone, Commission technicians vac­
cinated 13,071,533 cattle, sheep, goats, and
swine. The quarantine zone comprises more
than 200,000 square miles. A second round of
vaccination has covered about 55 percent of
the quarantined zone in recent months. A
third vaccination is starting four months after
the second, as experience and testing have
shown that the Mexican vaccine gives im­
munity for about that length of time.

FARM PRICES
Cottonseed Price Reports Available
Texas cotton growers are urged to make use
of free cottonseed market news reports issued

American-Egyptian Cotton Loan Rates
Loan rates on 1949-crop American-Egyp­
tian cotton with staple length of 1% inches
or longer have been announced by the United
States Department of Agriculture. The rates
are based on grade No. 2, l / z inches, and are
58.1 cents per pound, net weight, in the New
Mexico-West Texas area and 57.85 cents per
pound, net weight, in the Arizona-California
area.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
The 1949 State Fair of Texas will be held
in Dallas, October 8-23. Over $65,000 in
premiums will be awarded livestock exhib­
itors, and most of the livestock breeding asso­
ciations have scheduled sales for the fair, ac­
cording to Ray Wilson, livestock manager.
Publications
Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, C ol­
lege Station:
^Wheat Varieties for the Texas Panhandle,
Progress Report 1170, by Kenneth B.
Porter and Charles J. Whitfield.
Clovers for Texas Pastures, Bulletin N o.
B-168, by R. R. Lancaster.
Grain Storage for Texas, Bulletin No. C 266, by W. S. Allen.
Cotton Defoliation Tests in the Lower Rio
Grande Valley, Progress Report 1179,
by J. S. Morris and W. R. Cowley.
Copies of these publications may be secured
by request to the publisher.