The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-09-18
Q For the anderson MtelHgencer.
~ ~ Rust in Gotten.
PENpLEToN, S. c., Sept. 4,

9. 30 ~"' Rust in Gotten.
81 y .PENDLEroN, S. c., Sept. 4, 1878.
Editor LatelIgencer: I find in the weekly
New York Sun, furnished me by a friend, an
article of interest to every cotton planter, which
I copy for your paper, under the head "Rust ';
in Cotton" If you think it worth place in
your columns, please publish. If the applica-
tion Of lime Or ashes to our cotton fields should
prove to be a preventive Of rust then it is
surely most favorable discovery, acting not
only as intended, but as a manure so far as
may be required by the crop, and as an
ameliorator of the soil mechanically, rendering
stiff soils more loose and pliable, and soils of
lighter texture more compact and retentive OF
moisture, and also in Fastening decomposition
of vegetable matter, and fitting it as food for
plants. hear much complaint of rust this
season, and although too late, to apply the
remedy on this crop, it is in good time to pre-
pare for the next. a-i - &c. -.i
For your kind attention am due an apology
for my short comings of late, but doubt If any
original contribution from my pen would prove
to be as interesting and valuable to your read
ers as the article offered. I have copied it for
other papers, and other readers that may not
see yours. Although h never, much OF cotton
planter myself, and especially now when i have
no reliance in such labor as we can procure, L
would be pleased for every planter in the South
70 find q remedy for rust, which we would all
hope this will prove to be, as it has with Mr.
Williams. a-.fF ..
CRUST IN CoTToN.-John Williams, South
ampton County, Va, writes to the Rur@ Mes-,
senger: 3..i4at'.ta aa.' ~. .--salr,.- s~':
"In the Messenger of May II, q Cotton Grow
err asks if any cotton planter has been fortu-
nate enough to learn what would would stop or
prevent rust in cotton. 1 have waited several
weeks, hoping some experienced cotton planter
would give the wanted information; but find
ing that no one has given it satisfactorily, l
propose to give my experience in the matter.
cit seems to me that it would be enough to
say Lime your land we'll, and you will have no
rust But question would arise, how and
when. should lime be applied? answer
broadcast, and in the winter, to prevent rust
the next season. AS to stopping the rust alter
it makes it appearance, all experiments tall
with me- Ny first experiment was made with
unslacked ashes. I purchased the farm on
which reside thirty-three years ago. There
was lot on it on which the crop was ruined
with rust for several years. commencing at the
same point each year. I put broadcast few
bushels of ashes, beginning at the point where
the rust started. The result was that the rust
did not start at that point the next summer,
but made its appearance at the place where the
ashes stopped I then spread ashes over the
remainder of the lot The next winter gave
it a coat of lime broadcast, without regard to
quantity, and did not plow the land until
April, but let the lime remain on the surface
up to that time. The result was there was no
more rust on that lot for the next twenty years,
while the land was in cotton every year.
."I have had rust on other lots to some ex--
tent and have sowed lime in the rows, and
extended it ahead of the rust, with little or no
effect; but wherever it was applied in the win
ter it had the desired effect. recommended
it to my neighbors, particularly to Mr.. James
Drewry, who tried it with the best results.
Gas to the cause of rust, we are somewhat
in the dark; but I am strongly inclined to
think that it is due to one of two causes. One
is acid in the land, which is readily corrected
by lime; the other is an insect too minute to
be seen with the naked eye This opinion may
be erroneous, but whatever the cause may be,
lime has proved to be theremedy."