The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-05-10
For the Farmer and Mechanic
Cotton---Exhau Of Soils, etc.

Can cotton be successfully grown and
the soil permanently enriched? Ii so,
our success is assured.
Briefly, | will present the facts. Pro-
portionately, there is no plant that yields
more leaves and more vegetable matter,
than the cotton plant.
Prof PenGleton, of Georgia, assumes
that the plant, when grown 50 as to pro-
duce 800 ID. bale to the acre, will weigh
as follows: Lint 500 lbs, seed 1 900 lbs,
(hulls and kernels equally divided) stems
1900 lbs, leaves 500 lbs, and burrs 500
lbs La the item Of stalks and stems,
this will fall below the average. Taking
his figures as a base, we have 1000 lbs
in weight, and the lint weighing only 500
lbs, or one eighth Of the entlle amount
If the seed is used for OIL etc.. then the
kernels and the lint only amount to one
fourth
Now in crop of wheat, oats, barley,
rice, or tobacco, the entire product Is re
that are seeded to grass, either for pas
ture or hay. Nothing is left but roots
and stubble
Take a crop of corn as an example.
Let it be propOrtlonately good and we re
move 5000 lbs. in grain to the acre, be
sides the cob, shuck and fodder.
On the contrary, cotton leaves mass
of vegetable matter equaled by no other
plant, after the crop is harvested The
analysis Of the cotton plant gives the total
amount of phos. acid for the 500 bale Of
cotton at 5000, the lint using only Q IS,
of potash 49. Ga, lint =. |, of lime go II,
lint / 81, magnesa 1918, lint o.. 81, sui
phuric acid 2l.22, lint OBJ, chlorine
II 81, lint 0 As, soda 20. 65, lint O.53.
Dr. G. w. Dabney, Ph. d., Ag. Report
n. {. Experiment Station, page ll0,
makes the amount taken tor 500 10
bale less than ten ounces of phos. acid,
about two pounds of potash and one and
half pounds of lime; 80 bushels of
wheat takes from the soil l5 lbs. Of phos
acid, and 10 lbs. of potash; tobacco needs
10 lbs. of phos. acid, and 65 lbs. of pot
ash. to the one thousand pounds OF to
bacco. Only the smallest portion Of the
mineral matter of the cotton plant Is re
moved from the soil when the culture-Is
conducted properly
Prof. PendIeton says: BY treating the
soil properly, we mean that the stalks,
burrs, stems, leaves, etc should be
ploughed IN, that they may not, and fur
nish nitlogen as well as mineral food tor
the next crop. Under this treatment,
nothing would be lost but the lint The
mineral exhaustion of the soil would
hardly be worth mentioning. and the
soil would not require replenlshlng for
years.
Dr. Dahney SAYS: The leaves, stems
and burrs should be ploughed 10, SO that
hoy may return not only their mineral
matter. but also their organic matter
aud pitrogen to the soil. W hen man
AGED thus, the loss IS reduced to a mlnnl-
mam. 1t is 50 small, indeed, that we
can almost say the exhaustion trom the
cotton crop amounts to nothing. Every
intelligent planter will agree with these
distinguished scientific gentlemen.
Shall We allow all OF this tertilizing
matter to be wasted; carried to fence
corners; swept away by the winds; or
washed into bottoms already rich, or car
ried away by streams altogether? Shall
we not turn aside from these extravagant
and reckless methods of mismanagcment,
and turn under this mass of vegetation
that will permanently enrich the soil, and
form humuS and also save the gasses
that escape when evaporation is COM
plete?
The mineral clement is less than per
cent Of the whole mass. Average analy-
ses of different soils disclose the following
figures Light soils, 100 lbs.
ammonia to the acre, S75 lbs nitrate pot
ash and 1870 lbs Of nitrogen In combi-
nation. Clay lands As lbs. ammonia, IS
lbs. nitrate of potash, and $685. lbs.