The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1885-10-08
The C.tton Plant and Soil Fertility.

The writer has believed for many
years that the cotton plant-or, in
other words, the much abused lection
drop"-if properly managed, was q
great renovater of the soil--possibly
the best renovating crop in the world
taking into consideration the fact
that the farm, after taking oil his lint
cotton tor market, still has left on his
land the seed, stalks and leaves, and
nearly everything made from tho soil
is returned to the soil.
In giving what we take to be some
of the causes why certain plants enrich
the land more than others, and why
cotton more than the grain crops, let
us tho frat take into consideration the
effect produced on the soil by the tree.
Mention has been made o. the forest
tree fortilizing the land, aud that its
teaching should be followed bv the
farmers, to which we agree, for as with
the plant, so also with the tree, some
having tap roots and others only sur
face roots; and those, in each case
that have tap roots fertilize the soil,
and the Rccumulations are of great
benefit TO the cultivated crop. Being q
case in point we will take the old field
pine, though we are unable say why
the full grown pine trees of the forest
do not act In the same way as the old
field pines in improving tho soil. But
the nId fields seem to be an especial
provision Of Providence to reclaim old
worn out and badly washed lands,
which 1t docs TO an extent that is un-
equaled by anything else known to
our section of The country where the
land 10 left by itself to rest, nothing at
oil being done to 1t but just to be left
alone for some twenty years more or
less. These pines come on the land OF
themselves, and when left 0lone they
take all over the land, CALLED, quilted
anu Ali, aud will grow and thrive in
the torcst, sandy or red clay gullies; !;
stop washes, form new soil or enrich
the old where there is any left to
enuch. Tue question is, where and
Pow deos 1t get its fertilizers while
BfoWln8 on what seems to ba sterility
ltseRf This tree appears TO be q very
gross Seeder, and sonds its roots far
ana deep into the sterile and hard
earth anu takes up fertilizers that are
deep down, too scant and too insolubIo
t0rs1Dy cultivation to reach. take mn ar
appropriate. But ihis tree doeR ali
this, penetrating deepand wide, taking
np materials TO form rich soil from .
depth of many feet, absorbing them in
d way to form leaves and burs. Witch
is thrown down to rot and BECOME q
yIei; aud fertile soil; this crnde matter
becoming soluble to feed cultivated
crope, the land often appearing as
good, il NOT better, than when first
cleared of The original forest that might
have been there for thousands OF
years.
Aud so ii is with tho plants, some
have tap roots, such as the clover,
pears and cotton and some others, ali
enrich tho soil more or less
upon tho same principle as the old
hold pine, ffnot TO the same extent,
being some of them only annuals and
not spch gross feeders; but they al.
i'm sFoYe the soil, going deeper than the
graits>crops do. IL lis generally admit
Ted thats the cloyers can yield good
crops of hay and at the same tirnc be
Improving The soil ]; why not the cotton
planf, tkat Fetnrns ali back TO the soil
agaan, which is not tho case with the
floxet9 And the case is worse with
s9e grain crops which feed fiom the
ssAq And 1t Is not possible that