The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1885-11-11
control of a man of good executive
ab1lity.-Southe,m Cuttiraior.
Enriching Land Oats and Cotton Alternate
accompanying Leaves,

Enriching Land Oats and Cotton Alternate
Iy-Composting Leaves,
L. have 100 acres of ordinary gray
land which | want to bring up from
one-third bale to Il bale per acre If
can. L had thought to alternate with
small grain and cotton so as 10 culti-
vate the same land ONLY one wear and
then SOW down in order to get us much
vegetable matter in the land as posi-
pie. Considering the profits of farm
lng, would You recommend such n
rotation, or would il be better to run
the land i'm cotton longer before sow
ing?
z. Would YOU recommend compost
ing a or pine leaves with | inc now
TO be used under cotton next spring,
II so, please give me an idea of the
proportion, and would these be i'm
proved by the addition of acid phos-
phate and cotton seed meal, and what
amount to tho acre on ordinary gray
land! L do not know much about
farming, but want to bring my land
into first-claSs condition, and desire
yonr advice, as l have very little CAPT
tai to spend in doubtful Experiments
s~"I""" fnderson. s. c.
~
ANSWERED.. 1t is better TO sow the
land every other year in oats, than to
sow it every third year. we must
not only supply the land with humus,
but keep it supplied. Fresh lands
abopad in humus, and yet how 500
are they deprived of it under our ordi-
nary rotations. The usual custom is,
when alternating cotton and oats, TO
manure the cotton but not the oats.
Where one is DESTROYS of improving
the land rapidly, it is better to manure
both crops, a good broadcast applica-
ton being given the oats, and drill
manuring given the cotton. Two hum
drcd pounds each of ac'd phosphate
and cotton seed meal might be plowcd
i'm with the oats, and two TO three
thousand pounds of n compost, like
FurE:an's, put in the drill for cotton.
After the soil is dccpcncd and the land
becomes filled with humus and has a
good supply of plant food, the above
quantities of manure may be doubled
to advantage.
2. 10 get quick rcturns-and this is
always desirable in farming-it is bet
ter to compost leaves than to apply
them as gathered from the woods. The
latter dccomposc too slowly when put
in tho soil. TO cconOmizc the labor of
hauling, the compost pens should be
distributed conveniently about the
field to which it is to ho annlioi.
About ten bushels of quick lime will
be required to every five or six two
horse wagon loads of leaves, well
trampcd in a body of ordinary dimen-
sions. The lime should be Stacked
with strong salt water, the Stacking
being done just as it is used, a layer of
leaves (wctlcd if dry) six inches deep
should be put in the pen and the fresh
ly Stacked lime sprinkled over it, then
another similar layer of leaves with
more lime, and SO on till completed.
Either oak or pine leaves may he used,
or n mixture of the two. In place OF
lime, unlcached ashes may be used if
to be had; twelve to fifteen bushels of
ashes in place of the ten bushels of
lime. 1t would be well to cut down
and rebuild the heap after il has stood
four or five weeks.
Such compost should form the basis
only of a manure, an addition of acid
phosphate and cotton seed to be made
to it as it is about to be applied to the
soil. Tho quantity of these 10 be added
should be such that each acre should
receive of the phosphate from 200 to
400 pounds, and of meal from 100 to
zoe pounds. The quantities first men
toned on ordinary land, the last or
larger quantity on that in high condi-
tlon.-SOUthern CU}tiUatOr.