Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1866-01-24
farmers 8rpartalent.
Fron the Augusta cOnsti;nhOnalist.
FERTILLIZERS.


Great agricultural changes must nece:.
sarily attend the revolution of our ancient
system Of labor. The lack Of reliahii
workmet will compel planters to ecouo.
mise their force, and the impoverishmeni
of lands direct their energies toward suci
recuperation and high culture as the case
demands. The question narrows itself
down to the consideration Of reapins
something like an average crop from fewer
acres and by the employment of o com
paratively small number of hands. .Tb
lands thus worn ont must be diligently
and sulnmarily enriched, and further, 81
enriched as to make up in fertility for thu
broad acres out of use. For example, q
planter who has been accustomed to farm
thousand acres will, in the majority o;
instances, confine himself to FIVE hundred
and where he sent sixty negroes to th'
field reduce his maximum one-half. Hi,
great aim, under such pressure. woulf
unquestionably be to produce as Tnucl
from the FIVE hundred acres and thirt.
hands as ordinarily came from one thou
sand acres and sixty negroes. At the firs
blush, this would appear impossible, bu'
little thought will convince any one tha'
it is not only feasible but indispensable.
How then shall the planter accomplish
his design2 We reply that it can be done
with the aid of fertilizers, such as guant
and the super phosphatcs known to all.
We have conversed with number Of in
telligent tilIers of the soil and found Il o
their practical experience comedies tho
roughly with the theory advanced. NJ"
only had their crops doubled in quantity
by judicious communion of the dl
ferent manures with the most stubborn
soils, but the soils themselves had beer
permanently benefited by the application.
Say that ton $1,000 lbs. of some goot
er-phosphatc costs-s1 125. sDistributin.
this over ten al trs there would be yield
of at least 1900 pounds Of lint cotton
It will not be hasty to calculate tho price
of Gotten, next season, at less than =;
cents per pound We op;ac that it vii
reach higher figure, but this rate vii
answer our purpose. At 25 cents pe'
pound This will bring 1925. Deduct the
cost of the manure and clear gain il
had of $500 per ten acres. We have, III
our estimate, considered only indiferen.
lands. As matter of course, the in
crease eill be proportionally greater ac
cordirg to the superior quality of the
soil. That which is true of cotton is
equally true of corn and other bread
stuffs.
The planter assuredly must exercis,
discretion. ir the purchase of proper food
for his land and be careful of its distribu-
tion. Observation and experience will
guide him in such matters. But no oh.
aervation and experience can warrant him
in anlicipating.a conspicuous yield from
starved land or lands gorged with stimu-
lating rourishment.
There are few manures surprising that
which we formerly hadin some abundance,
viz cotton seed. This, at present, V,
have not available, being 50 scarce that t
bushsl readily sells from S. to $40. Sub
stitutes must be searched for and none
answer the requirement so well as tae
super-phosphates. By the use Of these
we have shown that even poor lands car
become productive and. permanently eA
hanced; that the yield can be doubled
and labor greatly reduced. Planters will
be guilty of singular faulty if the,
neglect the opportunity afforded them OF
rehabiIitating thsirfortunes by the display
Of proper enterprise and tact.
We wonder that no ingenious individu.
al has followed in the tracks of the diff
ferent armies and gathered up the count.
less bones of dead animals for the pur-
pose of manufacturing fertilizers. A ton
of such bones pulverized is almost as
puugent as o son of guano. Atpresent,
all this wealth is useless except as ref.
uge for tonl-tits.
We understand that the eminent firm
of Geo. r. Crump & Co., has made am
pie arrangements to supply planters with
the various fertilizers. These gentlemen.
promise to secure none but the very best
and we can cordially recommend them
to the patronage of the planting interest.
:stl There. may be some difficulty in the
way, by reason of the scarcity. Of money.
We hope that this obstacle may be re-
moved by granting substantial credits 10
l. l-sponsibls parties.
And from the same paper of later
date we 6ild s,is additional paragraph on.
the subject of fertilizers: ''''s:.a
FERTILRERs-oNE WORD MonE.-Lest,
there should Ehea a mistake as. to, the drift
of d recent article ON tie. above subject,
We make additional statements. We
based our calculation of the cotton yield
of ten acres. upon the most impoverished
land, trusting shat asptocesssaf induction
wcuid lead up from tho lowest to the
highest esiimsts demonstrating thss whas