The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1880-07-30
RUST IN COTTON.

Il
mary loss to the Soath than all the other
disease Of the st,ple combined. 1t is prob.
able that it more or less affects about one.
third OF all tho cotton fields in the seven
Southeastern States, and according to the
virulence of its attacks, reduces the yield to
only about two.thirds, or three.fourths of
what it would be otherwis. lfthis estimate
appoximates the truth the loss to- the plant
ers in these States last year was upwards of
$40, 100000. The disease attacks cotton
only in fields that have been under cutiva-
tion tor some years, seldom or never appear.
ing in new ground This fact leads us to
the conclusion confirmed by other observa-
aons, that it is caused by the impoverish-
| trent OF the soil and the lack of vegetable
matter therein. s..
hast season We planted 6eld Of about
thirty acres in cotton, all Of which had been
ploughed to the depth Of nine inches in Feb.
ruary. The rows were run north aud South,
Gas cotton rows should always be run if prac-
ticable, and the entire field, with the ex-
ceptlon offs rows, about the middle Of it,
was manured with one hundred pounds of
phosphate and three bushels of cotton seed
per acre. The north end Of the field cover.
ed SIX acres Of poor land that had not been
planted in cotton for some years, because
the rust was there always fatal. These six
acres had been left fallow in 1873, aud the
growth Ofcrab grass thereon was ploughed
under in November of that year. At the
south end were three acres that had been
planted in COW peas the same year, the peas
were picked of, but the vines ploughed un-
der. BY the middle Of July the rust ap.
peared in the middle section of twenty. .one
acres, over which it spread 10 the course
of the rest of tho mouth aud August, on
ly very slightly touching the six rows that
had received NO phosphate, aud entirely
stopping as soon as the two sections Of six
and three acres at opposite ends of the field
wero reached. The middle section oftwenty-
one acres produced yield of one hundred
and eighty five pounds lint per aero, while
those ut the two ends averaged two hundred
and seventy pound. The six rows that had
no phosphate produced more cotton and
remained green longer in the twenty .one
acre section than those on either side of
them. These results demonstrate that
humus in the soil will prevent rust, and
also, that unless there is such humus the
application of one hundred pounds of phos-
phate per acre will not repay its high cost.
The problem to be solved, therefore, is,
how to put humus into cotton field Of 100
acres or more. Any thing can be done
with one acre, and from such small patch
enormous results may DO Obtained, clearly
demonstrating the possible-results very
interesting to agricultural chemists, and
those intelligent planters who may have am.
pie cash capital, but of not much practical
value to the average farmers of the South,
who do not understand chemistry aud have
no cash capital whatsoever. 1t appears to
US that the only practical solution is the ap-
plication Of COW peas. This is means with
in the reach Of all farmers. At the time of
the last working of the crop, about the 18th
Or 2Oth of July, furrox should be run be-
tween the rows with bull tongue plough,
in which the peas should be sown at the
rate ofa half bushel per acre. They should
be covered with sweep, which will also
give the last ploughing to the cotton. The
staple crop will, by this tune, be SO advanced
that the pea vines cannot injure it, and
as c1tton cannot grow sufficiently large in
land in whichit rusts to shade the middles,
tho peas will make good vines, which will
supply to the soil tho needed humus if al.
lowed to die on the land. Salt is consider.
ed by some rs preventive Of rust, but like
lime, it is cficacious only when the soil
contains humus or vegetable matter not yet
decayed.
The principles enunciated, aud the rem.
edy suggested, are being practically tried
this season by the writer. Last summer q
growth of COW peas was obtained over twen-
tysix acres Of the field above mentioned
and portion of one adjoining; the vines
died on the land and were ploughed under.
This spring not pound Of phosphate was
used. but the land was manured with one
hundred and ten pounds Turks Island salt,
costing seventy seven cents, and four bush.
els Of cotton seed per acre. At this mo-
ment, nearly the middle of July, the crop is
the strongest and tealthiest that the field
has produced for several years, and is pro.
ducing an unusual quantity Of fruit
FAMINE, VIOLENCE AND DEArH.-A
Protestant pastor in the city of Mosul, Ash
attic Turkey. writes as follows concerning
the famine there:
People eat cotton seed, blood and even the
carcasses of pack animals. All business is at
n stand still there is no profit, no employ.
ment; there is theft and robbery by night and
by day all manner Of iniquity abouuds, not
even the fear of God is left. On every
hand there is violence, oppression, wicked.
ness, drunkenness, ruin. The poor in the
streets cry out till the middle Of the night
we are starving o nerciful ones, we are
starvingp The daily deaths from starva.
ton are from Eve to ten. In thewillages
around Mosul they cot kind Of earth, also
blood, carcasses, cotton md hempseed.--
They die from fifty to one hundred per day
Tho number Of deaths of people, beasts Of
burden and cattle, is beyond computation