The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-02-14
qgrnnltural.
From the Soil Of the South.
KettleWelI's Salts and GaaRO.


MsssRs. EDIroRs:-As the SCIENCE of az.
ricultural chemistry,.a .as it stands related I" the
.aruelorating process Of the soil, is best illus.
trated by the results of actual experiment, al.
low me to present through your columns my
observation and treatment OF the suil with
kettlewells Sails aud Guauo. The land treat
ed was piney woods, which had been cleared
aud cultivated for twelve years, and being ori-
ginaly of but ordinary fertility, was upon the
verge of utter sterilly. | measured "ne acre
each for corn and cotton. The treatment of
the acre set apart for corn, was as follows:
On the 18th day Of February broke up
the ground deeply and closely with long
scooter plow. Ap.il l2;h, the Salts and Gu
ano to the amount of $50 lbs. were sowed
broad cast, and turned under with turning
shovel, after which ths c"rH rows were laid "h
FIVE feet apart, the corn planted in the drill
and covered with board. Oa the 2Sth da;
of April, the corn was rer lanted. A slight
shower of rain fell OH the Sth day OF May,
which was the only one from the date of the
planting. On the 18th Of May rlowed thor
oughly and deeply with Il turning p!ow, and
on the 10th thinneJ the corn to 80 inches in
the drill, aud hoed it ont nicely. On the 30th
of May, toerable good rain again fell. On
the 9th Of June, plowed with -h"vel with
double wings June 10Th, had il fl ,e season,
and on June the 18th had another good sea-
son, when the ground was stirred With aeon
mon winged sweep. Good seasons occurred
on the 2,I, 4th and 18th of July, followed by
good rains throughout the balance Of the coru
making season.
From this acre Of ground, on the 5th day
of October, gathered "a bushels of well n,l,
tured corn whilst from 5 acres of similar land
adjoining in the same field, but unnE.nured,
only gathered Sc bushels of short corn, Or in
the vernacular of the farmer ''nubbins." So
much for the experiment of the culture Of
corn.
On the 5;h day of April, the acre set apart
for cotton. was deeply and thoroughly broken
with long scooter plough April 18th, the
ground was laid off in four equal pla,s of 4
acre each, numbered l,2 8, 4. On the num-
her ! sowed lS 81 lbs. of Salts and Guauo
combined. with 25 lbs. Gypsum; OF number
Q sowed so lbs; OH number 62 2 lbs, and
on number rs lbs-being at the rate of $50
'bs. Der acre on number l 200 lbs. on nun.
Der 9; $50 lbs on number 81 and 300 lbs .on
number i, per acre. Plat number contained
l6 rows {; number 2, 8 and 4, II rows eaclI
The whole acre was then carefully bedded up
with turning shovel. April 10Th, opened the
beds with short scooter Plow, and planted
the cotton seed covering lishly with board,
MAY the 18th sided the cotton deeply with a
turning pIow, when lice began to make their
appearance on the young plants. May l7h
and 18th, hoed first time May 23d plowed
deeply and closely with a long broad scooter
yplow. No rain had fallen since the 9Th of
May, and tbe weather from the 10Th very cool,
the thermometer ranging at ga. m. and p. NJ.
from 5S to IS degrees, and the lice i'll the
meantime committing fearful ravages. June
18th, pIowed with common sweeps throwing
a small quantity of soil to the plants the wealth.
er was now very fine, bnt the plants not grow
ing by reason of the lice, "whose name was
legion" June 23d, hoed aud thinncd to
stand, say 20 inches in the drill the lice had
now left and the plants were beginning to
grow. June 25th, first bloom. June Goth,
plowed with sweeps. July 18th, plowad with
sweeps. July 18TH, hoed and laid by the crop.
October 26th, the crop WAS fully gathered, and
Welded as follows:
Number ], 253 his ;nnmher 2, 240 lbs;
number 3, $50 lbs. number 4, 27S lbs; max
ing total for the acre Of l,02l lbs. seed cot
ton.
From these figures, It will be discovered
that there was gradual increase Of production
in proportion to the quantity of Salts aud Gu
ano used, except number !, which yielded more
than numbers 2 and 3, which result, no doubt,
transpired from the addition on that plat of
rvpsum, at the rate Of 100 pounds per acre.
The seasons were as indicated in the experiment
on corn.
Having thus detailed the mode of culture
and application of the salts and gnano, and
the results, have only to add that have been
much rratfrd with my experiments, and teel
great confidence in the opinion, that the addl-
tion of the inorganic matter OF kettlewcIlS
Salts to the stimulating properties of the gu
ano, has secured. Mt least to our light sandy
soils, rich, cheap and permanent means OF
fertilizatiou Very respectfully, &c,
WYLIE W. MASON.
AUBURN, ALA. Dec. 1853.
u1uzzszzsEslsszazzss .h:elazn 1g -