The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1874-02-04
From the Anderson Inteiligencer1 :
Stabbed Cotton Seed as a Manure fof
,alot.s 94s Cotton. - .a .i'''
Cold SPRINGS, PIcKENs Co.,,
December 29, 1878. &

%
Cold spR1NGs, PIcKENs Co., I
December 29, 1873. g.
Mr.. ED1ToR For two years i.
have, used this manure almost ex.s
clusivcly) for cotton, apply only,
fifty to seventy-fves pounds &of gq+I
ano per acre, with ] q the planted g e seed,
in bottom land. u; g s 6 |:
Previous to the discovery Of sthis,
manure, I used gUano almost enss
tipely: Mysuccess with this manure
has givenlthe greatest satisfaction,
exceeding any gnanuI i have tried,
and 1 have used the best kinds. I
will state the results of the use Of.
this manure. live Heaf the north.
ern limit Of tbe cotton belt-almost'
under the shade Of the Blue Ridge.
The lands planted are very old,
mostly in sedge ~ years,ago, wher1E
I became in possession of them.
They were originally good for this
part of the country, and have been
planted in cotton for 20 years, ex-
cept during the war;. The yield Of
the crop last year from 55 acres was.
43 bales, of 420 lbs.a This year 40
acres have made. 81. bales, of ,430,.
lbs. These crops were made; en-
tirely with this manure, except Is
lbs. of guano to the acre on half
the land (bottohl) each year.. Had
the caterpillar not injured 20 acres Z
Of this years crop, the yield would
have been not less than ten bales
more, which would have been A
bales from 40 acres. I feel certain
of this yield, as the same land made
1 ,430 lbs. per acre last year and
only 100 this, which is the better
cotton year Of the two. ,,l
The mode Of making and apply
ing this manure is simple and easy,
but requires attention. Iwill state,
in the first place, I have four mules
End one horse, and do not make
any of it during the months of
June, July, and August, as it would
endanger the health of the place.
The mules stand battered in sep
arate stalls, and in each one i put
about IS bushels of,seed right from
the gin house. These seed are
stirred duly, with manure fork,
mixing the excrement thoroughly
with the seed; every other day
would do, but is better done every
day, only requiring about twenty
minutes to do it. b
I find it requires about twenty
days to get them thoroughly mixed
with the excrement. At the expi-
ration of this time they are carried
out and deposited in an open log
house, we'll covered, and remain till
I am ready to put them on the land.
Occasionally they should be thrown
about in this house to prevent burn
ing, or fre-fanging. Burning dete-
riorates their value, andsit cannot
be obviated, unless very large
shelter is used, or mixed with some
thing else that will prevent The es-
cape of ammonia, which is object
ionable, as it increases greatly the
labor Of hauling and applying.
I apply them by preparing the
land just as I would for any other
manure, which should be deep and
close. I apply about '35 bushels
per acre 20 or 25 is enough for old
red land as they will burn the crop
in dry time on this kind of land.
On low, moist land, 40 bushels or
more would not be too much, but
when this quantity is put on, the
plow should be run through them
after they are deposited in the fur
row, mingling the soil with them,
so they will not present any me.
chanical obstruction to the roots Of
the plant while young and delicate.
In fact, this is a good plan with all
manures, but more particularly
where they are abundantly applied.
I bed on them as with. other ma
nure. What [ claim for this manure
is that it is the only substitute for
guano-that is, it is the only ma
nure, except guano, that can be ex-
tensively used. OF course, it, can
not be hauled and applied as easily
and rapidly as guano, but four
mules can haul enough for four or
five acres at one load, and three
hands can apply them about as fast
as one can guano. i use handled
baskets in distributing them. ..5 81.
Many farmers say they have not
seed enough to make this manure.
I reply that I bought no seed for
last years crop or this, but sold
over 200 bushels, and had about
this much left after planting cotton
this year. If 500 or 1000 lbs. OF
seed cotton are made per acre, it
will be sutficientto manure the same
land. ..'
In conclusion, I will say that those
of my neighbors who have followed
this example, and those who have
seen the crops, verify all l say about
it. If the farmers of the country.
will carry out this plan as stated
and are not greatly delighted with
he result, I shall be sadly disap-