The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-06-09
IMPROVED COTTON CULTURE.

On this subject the views Of Mr.. George
W Gift, late Of Memphis, Tenn, now Of
California, are Of especial value. Mr.. Gift
j. thorough agriculturist, theoretical and
practical, and very few writers on cotton
culture have larger experience or acquain-
lance. The old methods must be abandoned,
Ie says and planters must come down TO
the use of labor saving implements, and to
heavy applications Of manure.
Mr. Gift goes on to state that some years
ago Or y 3. Cloud, Of Alabama, reported
a yield Of 1915 pounds Of seed cotton from
one acre Of upland, MANFRED with 5000
bushels of barnyard compost. From his
knowledge Of such lands, he should judge
that the clear gain from manuring was fully
$500 pounds of seed cotton, equal to LOO
pounds Of lint, Counting 3! pounds Of seed
cotton for one Of lint, worth say, about
SI2J. net. Total yield of the acre, l,o10
pounds of lint, worth 1872. On good, deep,
upland loan, a smaller quantity Of manure,
coupled with thorough culture, would proba-
bly, have brought about the same result.
This shows at a glance what may be gained
by a liberal application Of manure.
Mr.. Gift also refers to David Dickson, Of
Georgia, a cotton planter on an improved
system. His last crop under the old system
was grown on $50 acres. He made $40 bales.
TO convey an idea of his new system it Is
reported that Mr.. Dickson -owed four acres
of land in turnps, in the fall, having en-
riched it with 100 pounds Of guano, with a
considerable spiukIing Of salt and plaster.
He fed the turnips off on the lot. The fol-
lowing spring he added 100 pounds guano,
100 pounds dissolved bones, 100 pounds salt,
and 80 pounds plaster per acre, and put in
cotton.
From the four acres the crop was $500
pounds Of seed cotton, equal to 5, $50 pounds
lint; worth, say, $l,2S7 net or nearly S322
per acre-a sum quite equal to the profits of
some market gardens in the neigdbOrhood OF
cities. where the lands are valued at 81 900
per acre.
Another report rendered by Mr.. Dickson
j. referred TO- He took in hand sixteen
acres of pine lands that had been under cul-
ture many years. About twelve years ago
it was sown with oats, with two hundred
pounds guano and bones, mixed with salt
and plaster, and made 30 or 30 bushels per
acre. Ill fed off by turning stock in the field
-Four years ago he left it uncultivated until
the middle Of July there was then heavy
growth of weeds on it, just grown. He turn
ed them in, and dropped peas IN every third
furrow The result was a heavy crop
of vines, and at least > bushels Of peas per
acre. These were fed off by beef cattle.
He commenced on the third day Of the
next May with two horses to prepare the
land for cotton, and applied to each acre $50
pounds Of soluble bones, 100 pounds No. l
Peruvian guano, and 100 pounds plaster,
dropped in the bottom of the furrOw. He
hired the picking of most of the cotton ut
40 cents per hundred pounds. The lot
averaged about 5000 pounds per acre, but
owing to a storm and other causes, he gath
cred only about 300 pounds-two good
bales per acre. In the lot was Il potatoe
patch. which had been twice MANFRED and
muIched with straw He thinks that por-
ton made at the rate of 5000 pounds per
acre. The next best place was about one
acre of old pine field, first year, which made
about 5000 pounds. The cotton would have
been better planted April 10th. He found,
during the wet weather, where most manure
was put it stood the rain best.
The whole cost of one acre was S32O5.
Against this small outlay stands a credit of
200 pounds seed cotton, equal to SIS
pounds lint, worth, say, to make sure, S2Ol /;
leaving a clear profit of Sl77.95 per acre, or
$275l 20 on a field of l6 acres
81 r. NTltU CONTENDS lllt we can MAKE cot
son raising decidedly profitable only by
pushing it something on the plan limited at
in the foregoing. And then we must drop
The old exclusive system, substantially a
mixed system, so to speak. In other words,
the plantation must produce all its food
crops in addition to its cotton, The area of
cultivation must be reduced, and a thorough
rotation of crops must be practiced. stock
must also be raised by the cotton planters,
for the manure. if nothing else; but there Is
no need of putting this in, for stock can
always be made more or less profitable, aside
from profits arising out of the manure.
Then deep, thorough and careful tillage
must succeed shallow and sloyenly culture
now too generally in vogue. When these
conditions are fulfilled we will become indie
pendent rs regards orr food crops, and the
production of cotton will rapidly increase
from year TO year.
To treat land so rs to obtain the greatest
Weld of crops would require a very consid-
cradle outlay of capital, but Mr.. Gift insists
that our lands may be brought up to the
paying level by judcious rotation of crops,
and 10y saving and utilizing the vast guam
titles of manure which now so utterly to
waste.