Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-07-19

SCuth's capacity for ReeOmIng
TruIy aependenr-S0nae Inter
essing Facts Absus Cotton.
The following interesting letter from Mr..
! Edward Atkinson shows what can be done
bg intelligent farming in the South, end
how, by perseverance, in the work, we can
become Independent Of the rest OF the
world;
10 The Secretary Of the Massachusetts, Hoafi-
cultural Society:
DEAR sIR-Msy I be permitted 10 place
on exhibition some samples of wheat
and oats from the present crop from Ho-
gansVllle, Tr0up county, Georgia section
| 90 which we have not been accustomed to
look for large crops of grain per acre.
These examples will possess great inter-
est. as bsllg visible aud tangible evidences
o. the vast Improvement in the methods Of
Southern agriculture now being broug IT
INTO sctien by the small farmers who own
tn.ir land and cultivate T. under their own
supervision.
The crops Of which these are samples
were raised by Msior J. F. Jones, who b I'd
already given evidence OF product OF $50
pounds OF lint cotton per acre in State In
which the average Per acre is only about 30
pounds.
L viii now quote from his description Of
these samples of grHiu.
|. The | allan white wheat. This he
states to b. tbe most valuable variety of
white wheat known ia this section. Tie
Rsv Mr.. Stacey, OF his State, when vlsii-
Ing l.aly few years ago, found some w1-
men cleaning In a wheat field near Naple3
Being attracted by the quality, ne purchased
a small quantity for seed, which he brought
to MaiOr Jones aud from this source this
immediate section in Troup county hss
hep cf0pI-pn Ram n this In
threshed forty-eight bushels OF this variety,
his average crop over the whole Of his wheat
lard being little over thirty bushels.
2. The red wheat, with purple straw, he
describes as q hardy variety, giving large
yield. Four years ago he threshed from
given acre 5315 bushels, averaging 40 BUSH.
els OF this kind on his field.
8 The oats represent rust-proof variety,
OF which he has threshed 30 bushels per scrs
this year. His method OF cultivation is sS
follows:
1--WE SOW our wheat about the 1st of Mo-
generally after a crop OF cotton has
been raised from the same land the previous
year. For some unknown reason wheat
eeae1Tiyes test after a crop Of cotton, the old
5"t,fr, looIns, leaves, immature fruit and roots
o01nS 19enselves a splendid fertilizer"
- In0 iIrlness lines in TrOup county consider
gram i ~ . uIucu money crop as cotton, and
@ e-oI 49, 49, - ems - In part why Georgia Is
p proSsiS a.s seaf ~ ta IN s grain and fruit
Msior Jones states that my =, ar.
farms average Is to 80 bushels on =. od ou
wheat, and 25 to 100 bushels OF oats -.
acre."
In connection with what is said about thu
fertilizlpg properties Of the cotton plant, is
may not be amiss to call attention TO some
facts but very recently developed.
For each 800 pounds OF lint cotton there
no rafr de of or
seed, IN which an average of over five per
cent. is phosphate of lime and potash, and
other mineral elg m snts drawn from the soil.
La fact, for each bale of cotton lint, which
IS Itself almost wholly carhonaceous mate
rial drawn from the air, there are in the
plants on which this lint Was grown more
han two hundred pounds of these valuable
Ingredients Now bear in mind that the
plant IS herbaceons, ,and that it can be saved
after the cotton is picked, and ground into
neal Gs food FOR stock with the cake which
S left after the oil has been extracted, and
t would appear probable, to say the least
hat Ia the refuse of the cotton plant we
nay fad an invaluable fodder and an equally
invaluable fertilizer.
1t Is therefore probable that each bale OF
800 pouGds OF lint cotton will be repre-
janted By Is gallons of oil and 5000 pounds
If fodder, OF which $50 pounds will be
phosphate OF lime and potash and other
erti zing ingredients.
The value of cotton seed meal for food
md for fertiiZing has become generally
,nown, but there IS no press capable Of re-
moving all the oil. The cake, being exces-
lively rich, must therefore be used with
-reat care. Bus if 1t be proved possible to- 4
rind the stems, burrs and hulls with the
axe, the mixture msy not be too rich, and =
be stems and burrs contain even more
Phosphate than the meal If the analysis in IS
'eadJetOR'S Scientific agriculture be correct
Oar annual cotton crop may therefore be K
imputed at g 000 600 bales of cotton. 9, 9,000,~
90 tons cattle food and 9O000,000 gallons "
oil.
All these facts may possess a greater fn-
crest At the present moment in view of the
aviation which has been extended nv the &
manufacturers and Mechanics Institute to- B
be Southern railroads and to>other corpora
Ions or persons Interested In the South. to
Ontribute to their great fair which is to be
eld in Boston next autumn examples Of
outhern minerals, timber and products OF
griculture similar TO those which attracted
uch widespread attention at the Atlanta
'otton Exposition last year. The Richmond
nd Danville Railroad and others have
lreadY accepted this invitation, and a very
xtensive display may be expected.
Very few persons, except those who have
ade thorough investigation, can begin to
ealize the potendality of this upland
ou hern country. Hogansville is l 400 feet
oove the sea level. 1t possesses a very
ealthy climate, and Is close to the moun-
Ain section, where timber, mineral and soil
airlY rival each other in powers of produc-
on and In wealth-giving resources.
Trusting that these few examples may fn-
crest your members, beg to submit them "A
ith this statement. Very truly yours,
EDWARD ATKINSON.