Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1884-05-03
TO FARMERS OF TENNESSEE.
Reduced Area, Increase Fertility.
Cor. Nashville World.

1t seems to be an opinion among
farmers that the season is now too far
advanced to attempt even a proper
preparation of the soil before planting,
much less any fertilization.
1t would, I think, be a very serious
mistake if policy based on any such
opinion should be adopted.
AS general rule, we undertake to
cultivate far more land than can be
properly managed. Very many recent
experiments made in various parts of
this country, have placed it almost be.
yond question, that less than two>thirds
of the soil properly cultivated, would
yield more than the three-thirds under
such culture as 1t usually receives. l
need not say properly cultivated for
that is rarely done; but the idea l
would express is this that if the same
amount of money and labor should be
expended on two>thirdS of the land
the yield would be greater than is now
had from the whole. This is especial
ly true in Tennessee and in other States
where the farmer controls large
amount of land in proportion to his
laboring force. This is not copject-
ure, not a theory, butts well tried and
strongly supported conclusion.
Every year hundreds and hundreds
of acres of land in our State are cult
waited with scarcely any hope OF re-
turn.
Why should we thus waste our ener-
gies? Again, it is genrally under
stood that prudent application Of
manure will hasten the maturity of our
summer crops, such as cotton, corn,
tobacco, etc., by some three or four
weeks, possibly more. 1t is well
known that the cotton belt was carried
more than one degree further north by
the application of commercial fertili-
zers, because such fertilizers greatly
hasten the maturity of the plant.
Whether this widening OF the cotton
belt was best for the country or not, is
not question to be discussed here.
wish simply to emphasize the fact,
that fertilizing develops the crop more
rapidly and brings it to market earlier.
Almost every farmer has noticed, /
suppose, that corn MANFRED from the
stable ripens sooner than that grown
on the natural soil.
If it be true that we are attempting
to cultivate too much land, and that
the fertilized crops mature more rapid
ly, can we ever find a better time to
accept these facts and shape our policy
accordingly? As stated above, they
have been we'll tried and well attested.
The season is far advanced; too far
advanced to prepare and cultivate a
large area of land; let us leave off a
part; lay aside that which promises
little or nothing and concentrate our
efforts on only the best portions.
The season is far advanced; but net
too far to prepare well the good por-
tons of the soil and TO fertilize them
if they need it. If we have plenty
of stable manure and good compost,
we can yet spare two or three weeks
to place it under our corn or cotton
and then secure better and earlier
crop than we could without fertilizers.
We may even have time for rapid
composing, and if commercial fertili'
ger be prudently used, the loss Of time
in placing it will be far more thar
compensated by rapid advancement o.
the crop.
As to whether fertilizing corn will
pay or balance the additional costs in
money and labor, l present the follow
ing results from last seasons expert
ments on the University farm: Two
of the unfertilized lots produced q
bushels each per acre. The third haG
been enriched the season before, and
raised the average to % bushels.
} The lots fortified by the CONNER
cial fertilizers averaged about AZ bush
els per acre at an additional cost O
$500 per acre. Those fortified by
stable manure averaged about 50 bush,