The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1870-11-24
AGRICULTURAL.
Experiments in Ferdlizing.
Col " D. Mann:

mess has prevented an earlier re-
sponse to your favor of November
23d; and even now I shall be com.
pelled to reply hastily, and conse.
auently with more prolixity and
less point than if I had more time
at my command. I hope, however,
to make myself understood.
Having already furnished you
the formula for the preparation
in question, the remaining inquri.
ries only claim my attention.
Cotton seed meal forms the basis
ofthe preparation which you have
thought proper to call the "Lang-
don Fertilizer" Before the war I
had experimental much with fer
tilizers, and, without going into
details of my experiments, I had
then come to the conclusion that a
mixture of Peruvian guano and
bone dust, in equal proportions,
with plaster and salt in smaller
proportions-say one.quarter to
one-eighth-was the best fertilizer
we could use on our Southern lands.
With Us the results were most sat
isfactory than Peruvian guano alone
or any of the prepared superphos-
pilates. 7 therefore discarded all
others, and for some time before
the war cut off our supplies ofthe
ingredients composing this prepa-
tion, and then for the first time l
tried cotton seed meal-a home
product Of which the war could not
deprive US. ! could get nothing
else, and was forced to take cotton
seed meal or nothing. had but
little idea of what properties it
was composed. or what would be
its effect upon the soil. But cotton
seed had always been considered
valuable as a fertilizer, and the
conclusion was, of course, that the
ground seed must be good. I ap-
plied the meal the first season in
various ways-in the hill and drill.
planted seed upon it and covered
the seed. They refused to ger
inmate. I used it in bedding
sweet potatoes, covering the bot
tom with meal, a covering of soil
IN the meal. then planted the DO
tatoes. I had one fine crop of
draws" but they never started
the second time. On examination,
I found the potatoes in the bottom
of the bed all rotten-burnt by the
meal. Ny florist tried it on some
fine young evergreens in my nurs.
cry. He first ran a plow near the
row, turning the furrow from the
row, leaving the little fbres bare.
The meal was then sprinkled lib.
orally in the bottom ofthe furrow,
and again covered with the plow,
surning the furrow upon it. Every
plant was killed. The meal, in
Direct contact with the delicate
little fibres was too much for them.
and I lost several hundred dollars
worth of fine evergreens. became
satisfied, therefore, that the cotton
seed meal alone was so strong that
itcould not, with safety, be applied
in a mass directly to the seed or
plant, but must be mixed thorough.
~ with the soil, and should have
other. ingredients in combination.
1t was also evident that it contain
ed a large amount of ammonia, and
was fertilizer ofvery great power.
I subsequently used it on various
field crops, and also on young trees
and plants in my nursery, taking
care to mix it thoroughly with the
soil, by either plow, fork or spade,
and the effect was always good,
but not entirely satisfactory. It
was an active stimulant, very de-
cided in it's effects, but still some
thing seemed to be wanting. Evi-
dently ammonia. It therefore struck
me that the same preparation that
l had formerly used with such
satisfactory results-substituting
only cotton seed meal for guano-
would make itabout. therefore
mixed the meal with pure bone
dust in equal proportions-say one
pound each of the latter to four
pounds each of the former-and
the result is the best fertilizer in
tho world for our Southern lands,
in my opinion. I certainly have
realized more decided effects from
itthan from any other fertilizer
I'have ever used. and I have con.
sequentIy, zealously and urgently
recommended its use to the cult
vators of the soil of the South. 1t
is my firm conviction that in pro-
per proportions of the different
ingredients, and a thorough ma
nipulation, it is as near perfection
as can be obtained.
This conclusion you will per-
ceive, is the result of practical
experiments, and this, l take it, is
what our planters want. They
want a fertilizer that will insure