The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-02-12
COTTON CULTIVATION IN GEORGIA.
Perdue's Mode. Net Profits S110.27 Per
Acre.

perdue's Mode. Net Profits s11O.27 Pc
| Acre.
For some years past, the farmers o
Georgia have been experimenting in tht
matter of closer and more careful cul
tivation of the soil. Slavery left a loose
system behind as its natural result. A
large area Of ground was planted, but il
was carelessly and slovenly worked anc
the yield per acre was consequently very
small.
The tendency in Georgia to day is in
an entirely different direction, and there
is intense rivalry among the farmers to
see who can raise the greatest amount to
the acre. The effect of this new depart
ure is seen in the fact that Georgia now
produces much larger crop of cotton
each year on 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 culti-
Yates twenty acres of ground and raises
thirty bales of cotton tberefrom, nets
nearly as much as his neighbor who cul'
tivates eighty acres and produces the
same amount of the staple.
Mr.. Furman surprised the Georgians a
short time ago by producing on eight
acres of ground-wild land that had
been deemed scarcely worthy of cultiva-
tion-enough to support him comforta.
bly,. He has had many imitators and
followers. A prize lately offered for the
largest yield of cotton per acre on land
fertilized only with cotton seed has de.
veloped some wonderful cases.
The prize was won by Mr.. D. w. Per-
due, of Milner, who carried on a system
of fertiizing which has, he said, paid
him back fully 100 per cent. for every
dollar expended and moment Of time
given. Mr. Perdue met with unfavorable
weather for his crop, which was cut short
somewhat thereby, as the cotton was gen.
orally throughout the South. Notwith-
standing this, his yield was 1916 pounds
of lint cotton to the acre and 5000 pounds
of seed.
Looking at it from fuancian point of
view, MIR. Perdue figures as follows:
Cost of cultivating an acre Of ground,
S15.40; fertilizing, $3.50; picking S13..
go; ginning, s6.1S; total cost per acre OF
raising the crop. S47.9S. Sold 1916
pounds of lint cotton at 9 cents per
pound, S139.05; 5000 pounds of cotton
seed, $500; total, $l58,25. Net profit
per acre, deducting all expenses, S11O..
27.
The Georgia farmers have evidently
made great discovery that will add to
the wealth and prosperity of their State.
Democrat.
And the same wonderful progress which
has been made by our neighbor in Geor-
gia, separated from us only by an imagi-
nary line, can be made in South Carroll.
ma, 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 mortgages-the hardest crop
that he can 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 self sup
porting, and then adopt and intelligeutly
pursue the system as to his cotton crop
adopted by Mr. Perdue. With his net
profits of $1l0.27 per acre on every acre
planted in cotton, we venture to assert,
though we are not informed on this point.
that his farm produces its own provisions
and stock. A larger crop of cotton on ::
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
cultivation of cotton more profitable
than it has been in the past, but to do so,
they must change their present system
of planting many acres and gathering
few bales. Are you in debt? How
many hundred dollars will you need next
October to make the sheet balance7
Then plant, like Mr.. Perdue, so many
acres and devote the rest of your time
and energy to making your farm self-sup.
porting, and our word for it, you will find
yourself on the first day of January 1886,
on the road to Fortune, and in one de-
cade or perhaps sooner will reach the
goal which you have so long soug hit.
What has been done can be done again.
Like causes produce like results.
Mr.. PERDUE's MODE OF cULTIvATING.
The.fact and figures speak for them
selves, and they loom mp before every
Southern farmer as an inspiration aud
hope.
To begin, this piece of land was man.
ured lavishly for four years, and it is the
deliberate judgment of Mr.. Perdue that
the gossypium paid him fully 100 rer
cent.
In the early Spring the soil was turned
With an Avery pony plow three inches
deep, and followed with 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
q twelve.inch scooter, running north and
south.
The next thing was to put in the drills
ABOUT 300 pounds of gossypium, at the
same time covering it with twelve.inch
scooter, going close to the drill.
About the 18th of April Mr.. Perdue
put in 400 pounds of gossypium, dividing
it equally on each side of the row. About
the first of May it was finished with an
Avery pony plow, except the last furrow,
which was run with long shovel.
On the 10th of May Sanders Prolific
was planted, first running three.foot
board over the bed to smooth it, and also
to get to the moisture, as it was very dry
at that time. By the goth of May there
was good stand. 1t was then run over
with six. Golfer harrow, and five days
later it was sided with small twelve
inch scooter. On the 31st of May it was
chopped to nine inches, with two or four.