The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-24
SAVE MANURE.
-:O:--
FARM MANURE AS 4 SUBSTI-
TUTE FOR LABOR.
THE WAY FOR THE FARMER TO
MAKE MONEY Is TO SAVE IT;
NOT TO PAY IT OUT IN
MAKING HIS CROP.

power and improved implements.
Following the same line of thought
let us look'a manure as substi-
tute for human labor. The ques~
ton may be prese lted in this form :
w ould it pay farmer, not in the
habit of manuring, TO cultivate Ealf
the usual quantity CT land and in
vest the nones which the labor re-
0uired to cultivate the other hall |
would have cost, IN manure or fer
tlllzers! Onr first remark is tha,
the quality of his land must in part
decide the ANSWER. In the case SUP
POSED, half The land must produce
as much with manure as all the land
did without it: if net, the farmer
would lose by the operation. II
his land unmanu-ed will bring a
bale OF cotton to the acre. It is al
most certain that the cost of labor
to cultivate another acre would not
purchase enough manure to make
the first acre yield two sa.es. Whilst
it is true that five light bales have
been ma le on al acre, three bales
to the acre, under aver
age conditions. may be regarded as
q maximum yield. Now as yeu ap>
3roach the maximum yield the
greater the quantity Of manure re-
Quired to produce & given increase.
1t will take decidedly less manure
to increase the yield Of an acre from
$50 TO 800 pounds of Int cotton, than
from $50 to 1000 pounds To ex~
press it in another form the poorer
the land the more profitable 1t will
be to substitute manure for labor.
1t will he more satisfactory per-
hal to lock It this matter n the
light Of fgnres. On cotton farm :,
all expenses is fairly chargeable to
the cotton crop. Tie corn, grain
and forage raised. is all consumed
bv stock to make cotton or to make
more corn Or forage to make more
cotton. Unless some corn and for
age is sold, the whole expense Of
these crops must he charged up
against cotton. surprising it TO be
the only money crop. The cost Of
preparing, planting and cultlvatiug
all acre of cotton WI vary flom
three to five dollars. according to
the skill Of the farmer. and The ma
ture Of his soil : whether light and
easily cultivated or the reverse.
Take the smaller quantity, three
dollars. 1his Will buy two hundred
snd eighty poun2s. or nearly So Ii
a3d half Of mixture OF acid nhos,
phate anu coitcp seed neal I 800
pounds Of the first to 500 pounds OF
the second, an article equal ts the
best ammoniated goods on the mark
Ct. With hat amount Of fertilizer
applied to an acre Of ordinary land
would there be Gny difficulty IL
dou ding the yield. 4 vide and
general experience authorizes the
statement that thsre would not.
Now supposing cost Of labor FOL
two acres, and cost Of labor an6
manure for one acre, to be the same
and the yield in both cases the same
let Us consider The Incidental adyan
tages attending the cultivation o
the one acre. Flrst, only half th'
Lorse Eower is needed, second half tn.
plows, plow gear, and half the black
smiths bill third, and greatest o
all. more oppo, tunitY is giveG tn
lan1 to rest, TO recuperate, 10 keel
up its sup, ly Of humus. Ano: he
and mos, important advantages is
that The richest portions Of the farm
THOSE most free from stumps an
other ohstrut tons, thuse least liabl
to wash conld he selected for cult
walton. Under the present e1ten
siye system, which so generally pre-
walls, many acres, on nearly ever
farm. are planted which do not pa
for the cost Of cultivation. tt
profit which Ou3ht to come from tn
richer Land IS all so bed iii It.
losses on the poorer acres.
change from the ext. n>ive t. the IN
t1n>iFe system is lmperItiEely d
manded, but good sense ani soun
Judgment must he exercised IN tn
matter. The cAsnge must be mad
gradually. Poor lani cannot b
brought at cnce to hi igh state Of fe
tliitv aud at the same time keep tt
Profits in excess of the cost. III
true method Of procedure is to beg
with moderate applications Of III
nurc, and increase the quantity eac