The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-04-29
Thoughts for My.

lSDMhc1m Cnhiuator.)
The planting Of cotton will continue to tho middle
Of this month. Tho policy Of growing much or little
cotton has been 81 inlly discussed, II Is needless 10
saw nrure. The logic Of eychts, Or rather Of results.
will have t. drcid" tie matter; but 1t Is admitted ON
all sides that, on Most taItns. sDiue Cotton may DC
proitbly raised Its cleansing cultivation, It's irrui'
vim. seed. IL. ready SHE, its Keeping without dcteri.
GRAFTON. are strong points In It's fnYnr-intiech tley
are so STR n: that they have tempted, and continue
to tempt. farmers 10 extend the crops beyond safe
and ! gEtimatr bounds. IL one plants any cotton ut
all. It I, Of first ilnIuriance tn decide how 1t Is done
10 secure, not only profit, but tho largest profit.
When the 'auds w,r, fresh and the farmer owned the
labor, the largest crnl' that he ruulG cultivate proper
" and tick ont, was by cUminnn culIsrnt the most
uruiilab.c. Labor being n cunstnnt quantity, and no
commercial fertilizer used, the more cotton, the more
profit. II tile grass could be kept down anu the crop
gathered.
. but the conditions arc now greatly changed. Land
Is no, fresh. fri tilizcrs must De used, and labor Is Il
cash cnmniodit y tn t must be paid for, ut least once
a rear, If not Uftencr. With increase Of acres, cS-
lrnsrs run up very rapidly, and 1t becomes on en-
trrmely Important question, how much fertilizer ana
how much labor one can tso to greatest profit IN
making a crop Of cotton. Land Is 80 abundant that
except us Vt atf, cts the other two ~fhctnrs, It may be
left 0ut Ut consideration. Labor and fertilizers then
nc the two things to be scrntihizcd. These can best
10 considered together, IS with q given capital
tn work with, an increase of one inv"ivrs u decrease
Of the other. All the available working capital may
be spent for labor and none for for fertilizers. This
implies more acres, more mules, mare p ows, &c.
This was the antrbcllun plan, and Is still applicable"
to the rich alluvial lands Of the West; or the working
capital may be spent for the largest amount OF frrtil.
izer which can safely be used per acre. This impliee,
T. wrr acres, less labor n sIallrf number or mules nhu
Iluws. II rs many bales can be made, with tho same
capital. by the latter plan rs by the former, the IT.
vantage Is decidedly on the side of the latter. bt cause
1t calls for q smaller number of mules, less stock feed,
fewer blows, hoes md other implements. The glst
Of the Matter then turns on the extent to which Ter
tlizrrs may b. safely mud ~rrvhtably pushed. This is
j nice question, requiring for It's solution sound, dis
eliminating Judgment, The quantity Of fertilizer
which may be safely and prUtital'y used, depends
first on whether II is to be applied broadcast or IN
drill; second, upon the preparation OF the !nIih thlid,
upon the condition Of the land rs to the supply Uf
humus; fourth. upon tho kind OF crop. whether win
ter or summer, anil lastly upon the cultivation which
The lind receives. First, whether applied broadcast
or In the drill. From three to I'VE times rs hi'irn
may br lrnadcastcd rs may be safely put In The drill.
The reason Is that where u large Quantity Is put IN n
limited space. Us In drill, the small amount Of niois.
turr lust about the drill dissolv,s a comparatively
large quantity of the fertilizer and the so ution n
consequently sometimes top strong lur the good o.
plants. One illustration Of this Is seen In the I'll Ing
Of corn from heavy applications OF stable manure.
These do well enough In wet seasons, brcan:e The
abundant supply Of water prevents strong coz &c; ta'd
solutions of the manure; but when droiitll super.
venes. the scant supply Of water gendcrs strong cals-
tic solutions, aud these hurt the corn. When manure
Is spread broadcast. 1t is In contact with SIX or twelve
times as much moisture us when put III drii'; hehre
rs We said before, three tn five times RS much may be
used broadcast as In the dill; without danger oi burning
Or firing the crol. But this Is not the only point I"
bs considered; tho rcIativs pr"ftatlc"ess of broad
cast and drill manarin2, when both arc with sale llnI-
Its, must be lDuKed into.
As seen from statements already made, the danger
point In drill.tnnnuring Is pretty soon reached; wilcI,
therefore maximum crops are desired. either broah-
cast applications must be resented to or q combination
If The two; light mnnuring in the drill with heavy
broadcast applications. No test experiments. made
for the purpose and showing the relative profitable
ness of the two mrthod', have ever come under our
notice, but the practice of the best make gardeners.
who are n keen, sharp and shrewd get OF men, anu
carry on their works a~"corfling TO strict business
methods, points very decidedly IN favor OF broadcast-
Ing large quantities OF manurrs rs much the best pay,
in. plan, where one has the necessary working capital
uni Is prepared to Use 1t freely. EXIcr lici'tb made
In Georgia the past year, where cOttnn WAS manfred
with full quantities Of OH aInun"niatcd p,ann. show alsu
whether In drill or broadcast or In both combined,
does not appear, and the ins rnctivcnpss Of the results
Is thereby greatly lesscned. But from all The rpi.
dence ut hand we feel warranted In saying that 900
t. 100 pounds Of glan0 may he safely and Tr0lita-
lily broadca>t, i" on one acre, other conditions, to be-
discussed farther on, being observed. When such
large applications ne made. 1t Is OF the FIRST ili.T,or'
IN nee that the fertilizer should he very unifnrInly dis.
trihnt-d and Incorporated with the s"il. The reason
for this Is two fold; first, that q root, wherever II
gucs, may find some uf IT,; second, that oil tho water
In the soil (nUt Tmr,i"ns OF tt) may dissolve 1t, No IN 10
avoid too concentrated solutions. To insure TINS uni
lufln ulslflDlLlpU, LII SUtUU UIitI bC iiiNS Wv w
least three times its bu K of some dilurnt. such rs nuc
stable or bsrnyard manure, muck. woods earth. etc.
Some. at least. Of thr happy action OF c"inpos's, fnch
rs ur. now 81 generally used. is due to THIS dilnting
OF the concentrated rnrtiliz. RS with It's attendant good
results. The application is hest made soon after The
land has been llowrl. and while the surface is still
rough, the harrow cal then mix 1t quite thoroughly
with the soil.
Except IN case of land which has been highly ma-
nurrd for y,ars and brought up to the highest conai.
lion, 1t IL better to apply q part Of tho manure IN the
drill anu o part broadcast. If for instance, l,opO
puunls are tu be put on nm acre. 200 pounds OF 1t
iinlyI,l be applied in the drill and 500 broadcast. That
which Is In the trill Is nearer, ms 1t were, to the plant !;
Is more certainly appropriated hy 1t during Its early
st,grs. and q~uickrns both growth AMI maturity. The
ulnnt Is not forced To send ont Ion. roots t. search fur
IL and maybe find It late In the seuson, too late to pro-
duce available fruit Hence. where q moderate guam
tity only Of manure Is used. 1t Is better to apply It IN
the drill. The general evidence points to 4W pounds
of ruano, rs the mixnum which can thus he safely
used. and this quantity should always BE- diluted with
ut lrnst three times its bulk of some other substance.
Having Tucked ut the quantities which MAJ DC sale
" used In the two methods Of applying, let us lnpE,
bcfrre proceeding farther. To the relative profits. Win
maximum drill applications, ono cannot reasonably
count on more than one bale nf cn.t0n per ncIo. Tn.
der similar conditions. one may qni!e Ms reasonably
count upon Two bales per nero from an application ti
lmE pounds broadcast. Assuming these Premises The
account stands: 4ON pounds Of g,,.nu ut *35 II ton 1900
against 1850 pounds. II 10, and one bale against two,
labur. horsepower. land, etc. bring the saline. To
make twn bales by the drilling system. the cost OF
cusno, lnbor, hon Sc. power. etc must be doubled. MS
Two acres must BE- p an,rd in Ilucc Of onr. Doub-
ling cost Of cnnuu makes II $l4 or within $3.50 Of the
cost tf broad cast guan"; and this S350 would have
to pay for the labor f hand and mnle to cultivate the
adii ional acre. Moreover. under the broadcast s!ys-
TEN the land wunld improve more rupidly than under
the other.
The ptcna ration Of the land has much to dowith the
quantity of fertilizer which may no SAFELY used. III
deeply broken and well pulvcriz"d, it ubs"rbs and re
tIins u large amUnnt Of moisture and thus prevents
too concentrated solutions "f fertilizers In periods OF
droutli. Large applications of rtsno on shallow
broken, pUOrly prepared land are almost SIRE to cause
loss instead Of profit: n very wet season alone can
prevent disaster. For o liz reason the presence or
absence of hunius affects the quantity OF fertilizer
which may bc safely used. Land filled with hInnus
has vastly greater power OF absorbing and holding
moisture thnn unc destitute Of It. The bearing upon
the quantity OF fertilizer which may be used is Oh
yious. Moreover, commercial fertilizers usually con-
tain from, ono to three important ingredients, others
only needed by plants ae supplied them BY hum'ls.
and thus 1t supplements and c"-nprratrs with sIich
fertilizers and the rcsnlnit action IS more favorable
than II would b. without 1t.
As VIZ have Seen, the supply OF moisture In thu coll
has n most important bearing on the use of fertilizers.
Crops which grow during winter and spring when
Iaitio are abundant. other tlIinIs being equal, would
hear, therefore, hrlrier applications ol fertilizers Than
summer crops. Small gains grass and clover XII
b,nr large doses uf fertilizers without any danger 81
injury and with great profit. In tho Inst place. the
finer the filth which Is kept IN during The growth OF q
summer crnp, the larger the amount ef fertilizers It
will safely bear. The effect OF frequent stirring and
pulverizing of the soil Is TO preserve It's supply Of
moisture, and the bearing of this On the use Of iertiii.
zrrs has BEEN already discussed. Whether applied
broadcast or In the dr'n. therefore. the quantities wlich,
may 10 safely and p%rohtnb'y usei defend o., e"eh AM, II,
all Of the several factors mentioned. Disregard "i
their influence mas oyen very o."n ens Tanss u p. ~
failures from use OF commercial fertilizers. Break
land deep and pulverlze It win liarr"w ana Frllrr anu
clodcrnshcr, fill 1t with hulnns, Keep II wei! eul'lv"t,
ed and the larger the quantities OF ierliiiz'Ts ns."
within the limits ment'Hneu the larger WI. Wv '1e w.
profits from their use; We USE the term fertilizer 10
It's o."an sense' n.ea."i"S o !" cn me-" ,b.rn wnuII, r."
are ut al euncrntrat,I. w course ,n;re wo"ra Ie
scarcely any unit 20 inc use "n such .r'ns1 "S n'".h;
wood inoiu, cue, e"''p' Il 'Hi""'' Va 'o'.'"s Wv