The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-02-12
CorroN CULTIVATION IN GEORGIA.
Perduo's Mode. Not Profits sl1o.a7 Per
Acre.


--1 :.
For some years past, the farmers o
Georgia have been experimenting in the
matter of closer and more careful cul
tivation of the soil. Slavery left loose
system behind as its natural result. A
large area of ground was planted, but II
was carelessly aud sloyenly worked aud
the yield per acre was consequently very
small.
The tendency In Georgia to day is ia
an entirely different direction, and there
is irtense rivalry among the farmers Ia
see who can raise the greatest amount to
the acre. The effect of this new depart.
ure is seen Ia the fact that Georgia now
produces much larger crop Of cotton
each year on a smaller acreage. 1t Is
found, moreover, that this System Of cul.
tivation is far more profitable than the
old one, and that the farmer who cult.
vstes twenty acres Of ground and raises
thirty bales of cotton therefrom, nets
nearly as much as his neighbor who cul.
tivates eighty acres aud produces the
same amount of the staple.
Mr.. Furman surprised the Georgians a
short time ago by producing on eight
acres of grouI wild land that had
been deemed scarcely worthy cf cultiva.
tion-enough to support him comforta.
| bly,. He has had many imitators aud
followers. A prize lately offered for the
| largest yield OF cotton per acre on land
fertilized only with cotton seed has dc.
| Yeloped some wonderful cases.
The prize was won by Mr.. d. w. Per-
due, of Milner, who carried on a system
Of fertilizing which has, he aaid, paid
him back fully 100 per cent. for every
dollar expended and moment Of time
given. Dir. Perdue met with unfavorab!e
weather for his crop, which was cut short
somewhat thereby, as the cotton was gen.
orally throughout the South. Notwith.
atanding this, his yield was 1545 pounds
OF lint cotton to the acre and 5000 pounds
| of seed.
Looking at It from fluancian point of
view, Dir. Perdue figures as follows:
Cost of eultivating an acre Of ground,
$l5.40; fertilizing, $l2.50; picking $13..
w.; ginning, $6.l8; total cost per acre OF
raising the crop. $47.9S. Sold 1916
pounds OF lint cotton at 8 cents per
pound, Sl39.05; 5000 pounds of cotton
seed, $500. total, $l5S,25. Net profit
per acre, deducting all expenses, $ll0..
The Georgia farmers have evidently
made great discovery that will add to
the wealth and prosperity of their State.
-7fmes. Democrat.
And the snme wonderful progress which
has been made by our neighbors In Geor.
gin, separated from us only by an imapi.
| nary line, can be made In South Caroli.
| mn, and In fact in any part of the cotton
belt. There are salient facts in the above
article which every farmer who would
plant fewer morlgages-the hardest crop
that he eau raise-and be more indepen.
dent In the future, should not lose sight
OF. First, every farmer who would be
successful, should make his farm sell sup.
porting, and then adopt and iBtolligently
pursue the system as to his cotton crop
adopted by Dir. Perdue. With his net
profits of $llO.27 per acre on every acre
planted in cotton, we venture to assert,
though we are not informed on this point
that his farm produces It's own provisions
aud stock. A larger crop of cotton on o
smaller acreage each succeeding year is
the true theory in successful farming.
| We do hope some few of the thousands
OF readers of the Cotton Plant will un.
dertake this year to equal, yea exceed,
our Georgia neighbors in making the
cultisation of cotton more profitable
than 1t has been In the past, but to do so,
they must change their present system
ot planting many acres and gathering
few bales. Are you In debit How
many hundred dollars will you need next
October to make the sheet balance
Then plant, like Mr.. Perdue, 30 MANY
acres and devote the rest of your time
and energy to making your tarm self.sup.
porting, and our word for It. you will find
yourself on the frat day Of January 1886,
on the road to Fortune, and in one de-.
cade or perhaps sooner will reach che
goal which you have 30 long sought.
What has been done can be dcue again.
Like causes produce like res.its.
MR. PERDUE's MODE OF cULT1vATINa.
The.facts and figures speak for them.
selves, and they loom up before every
Southern farmer as an inspiration and {,
hope. xxi i y.s3sf i;j
To begin, this piece of land was man.
ured lavishly for four years, and It IL the
| deliberate judgment .: EEss.. TeTrdue that
the gossypium paid hin, fully 100 per
cent, - II .a : Ma -
In the early Spring the soil was ss:::::aad
9Th an Avery pony plow three in6liea
| deep, and followed with q twelve. inch
| scooter, breaking niue more inehes. sac
About the first Of April rows were
opened Eve feet apart, with a ten,inch
shovel. These rows were followed With
q tweive.inch scooter, running north and
| south. ~ ~ t'esa fi,ssai9
The next thing was to put in the drills
eoont 300 pounds of gossypium, at the
same time covering iJ with o twelve inch
scooter, going close to the drill.
About the 10th Of April Mr. Perdue
put in 400 pounds Of gossypium, dividing
1t equally on each side of the row. About
the frst Of May It was finished with en-
Avery pony pillow, except the last farrow,
which was run with long shovel.
On the 10th of May Sanders Prolific
was planted, fint, running three. foot
board over the bed to smooth II, and also
to get TO the moisture, as It was very dry
at that time. By the Goth Of Mny there
was good stand. Itwas then run over
with q six.colter harrow, and five days
later 1t was sided with small twelve.
inch scooter. On the 3let Of May Il wal
chopped to nine inches, with two or four
stalks In hiis. Then 1t was plowed
with 0 scooter and Bcrape shallow, going
four times In each row every twelve days
On the 10th Of June It was chopped tc
eighteen inches, leaving two stalks in q
bill. It was plowed the last time on The
10th of July, and gone over With hoes te
get the scattering punches of grass. F
The cotton was then about Is Inches
high, and the growth was very allow unts
the 20th Of August, when the pnususll,
heavy rains ceased. IF It. had not .beeii
fosthe exceptionally favorable Fall sea