The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-01-07
Remarkable Weld Of Cotton,

The recent award Of the 5000 premium
offered by Messrs. Geo. W. Scott & Co.
to Mr.. d. w. Perdue, of Miner, Ca,
for the largest yield Of cotton on one
acre fertilized with gossypium, has drawn
from all quarters inquiries as to MIR. Per-
dues method of preparing and |cultiva-
ting his bonanza acre.
This curiosity on the part of our plan
| tiers is natural. A yield Of l,545 pounds
| Of cotton to the acre is something phe-
| nomenal, and. with one exception, is the
| largest yield ever recorded in Georgia.
| That exception wa. in the case of Colonel
Gabriel Toombs, who once astounded the
country by producing something over
1000 pounds on one acre.
These instances serve as pointers.
What has been done can be done again.
To begin with this piece of land was
MANFRED lavishly for four years.
In the early spring the soil was turned
with an Avery pony pillow three inches
deep, and followed with a twelve-inch
scooter, breaking nine more inches.
About the first Of April rows were
opened five feet apart, with a ten-inch
shovel. These rows were followed with
a twelve-inch scooter, running north and
south.
The next thing was to put in the drills
about 800 pounds of %gossypium, at the
same time covering it with a twelve-inch
scooter, going close TO the drill.
About the 18th of April Mr.. Perdue
put in 400 pounds Of gossypium, dividing
it equally1on each side of the row. About
the first of may it was finished with an
Avery pony pillow, except the last furrow,
which was u with a long shovel.
On the 10th of May Sanders Prolific
was planted, first running a three foot
board over the bed to smooth it, and also
to get to the moisture. as it was very
dry at hat time. By the Goth of May
there was a good stand. 1t was her run
over with a six Golfer harrow, and five
days later it was sided with a small
t~welve-inch scooter. On the 31st of May
it was chopped to nine inches, with two
to four stalks in a hill. Then it was
plowed with a scooter and scrape shallow.
going four times 10 each row every twelve
days. On the 10Th of June it was chop
ped to eighteen inches, leaving two stalks
in a hill. 1t was plowed the last time on
the 18th of July, and gone over with
hoes to get the scattering punches of
grass.
The cotton vas then about Is inche.
high, and the growth was very slow until
the Goth of August, when the unusually
heavy rains ceased. If it had not been
for the exceptionally favorable fall season
Mr.. Perdue thinks that the cotton would
not have opened, as its growth had been
so much retarded all summer by the
drenching rains
1t was Mr.. Perdue's intention to use
1900 pounds Of ~gossypium, but the wet
weather discouraged him, and he used
only 700 pounds.
AS it turned out. his acre yielded him
l,645 pounds Of cotton, which at nine
cents brought him s139.05 and 5000
pounds Of cotton seed which at twenty
cents per 30 pounds brought SO. 20, a
total of s153,25.
The expenditures were as follows Cost
of preparing and cultivating the acre,
SIS 10; 700 pounds gosypium SO so;
gathering t, 635 pounds OF cotton, $l3. 90;
ginning I,545 pounds Of lint, ST Is; tota,
81 9S.
.Deducting these expenses, a clear
profit was left of $40 81.
This year Mr.. Z. NJ. Mitchell made
1914 pounds of lint cotton on one acre.