The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1869-02-11
FOUR GOOD RULES.

IOO IL OOOD hO hJkO.
Most men are as willing to listen to
good advice as they are unwilling to
follow it when given. They ask for
the opinions of those in whom they
have confidence, and are guided by
them or not, just as the humor takes
them. This is human nature end we
are obliged to admit that we have very
little faith in the success of the praise
worthy efforts of the Southern newspa-
per press to persuade the planters to
pur ue this year the policy of the last,
and make the raising of a fine crop of
cereals their first consideration. Every
farmer will admit that it is best for his
ncighbors to make sure Of plenty of
corn, even though are on that account
unable to make large crop of cotton.
But the planters will not take the les
son home to themselves, and they are
likely to be so carried away by the hope
of twenty-eight cents for short cotton
in 1S69-70, as to neglect the very cor
ner.stone of their success this year-thc
production of enough brcadstuffs to
make US wholly independent of the
granarics Of the North and West. But
if cotton is to be the chief object of our
labors if we are once more to take the
risk of selling uplands at fifteen cents
a pound and paying one dollar a bush
ell for corn. i! is certainly to the inter
est of every planter TO arrange hts oP-
erations in such way as to obtain the
best results at the lowest practical cost.
In this connection there are four good
rules, which, it seems to US, should be
strictly observed:
/. The increased yield Of cotton
should be drawn from the more thor.
ough preparation and working Of the
area which was planted last year, rather
than from an addition to the area in
cultivation An increased areage car
rics with it the cost of extra labor, extra
stock, extra implements, and extra
seed. On the other hand, a liberal use
of fertilizers, and an attention to the
cotton field as great as that which is
given to a fine vegetable garden, will
largely increase the yield, the only ex
ira cost being that of the increased
quantity of fert,lizing material. And
the fertilizers will dcvclope and mature
the cotton so rapidly that the worm, if
it comes, will not be able to do as much
harm as in those tracts where the fer
tilizer is used with niggardly economy.
With average seasons, and with or
without the caterpillar, one hundred
acres thoroughly cultivated and gener-
ously manured, will give larger net
profit than two hundred acres carclessly
worked aud supplied with but small
or average quantity of the favorite fer
tilizer.
2. The greatest care should be cxcr-
cised in the selection of fertilizers
There arc as many verictics in the mar
ket as there are quack medicines; and
faith will not make cotton grow, al
though it may remove mountains or
cure a galloping consumption. 1t is
impossible to tell by amateur inspection
what are the peculiar properties Of each
kind of guano or superphosphate, and
the only safety lies in buying the fer
tilizer from men Of known character
and standing, whose statements, even
in matters of business, may be implicitly
believed. There is no use in being dis
couragcd, or in blaming the manufac-
rer, if the fertilizer in any particular
season does not give as good return as
was expected. The manufacturer and
agent Of the leading kinds Of fertilizers
cannot afford to lower the standard of
their article. They will maintain the
qnality for their own sake; and if the
planter is satisfied that he is dealing
with honest men, and has good arti-
Gle, he will not be anxious to make a
change.
8. 1t is unwise to put off the pur-
chase of fertilizers until the last mo-
ment. In 1868, there was but a small
demand for guanos; the agents were
not pressed with orders, nor the rail
roads with frcights. Procrastination
did no great harm. But in 1867, there
was large sale of fertilizers and the
planters who postponed their purchases
until March or April, had, in many in
stances, to wait two and three weeks
before their orders could be filled and
the fertilizers delivered. There is a
prospect of an active inquiry for guanos
and phosphates this spring 1t is,
therefore, the true policy to buy early.