The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-01-30
NO.. s.
FACTS FOR THE FARMERS.


USEFUL INFORMATION FOR SOUTH.
ERN FARMERS.
Capt. Peterkin's Solution of the CONNER
ciaI Fertilizer Question-Let the Land
Rest for Year.
To the Editor Of the News and
Courier: One of the chief causes Of the
impoverished condition OF the farmers
is the use OF two much commercial ferti.
lizer and the injudicious application. Of
the same. For twenty years we have
bought any and rything that has been
offered fer sale. All that has been neces-
sary was to put something ina sack or bar
rel and brand some unusual or peculiar
name on il. I do not accuse the manufac-
turers OF fraud, but do accuse my brother
farmers of being the biggest set Of fools
there is in all the land, and the writer
the king of fools, or the biggest fool ;of
all.
For several years bought ammoniated
fertilizers at high prices, and applied in
connection with cotton seed meal or
cotton seed in natural state. After spend
ing thousands of dollars in this foolish
5ay, I dropped the ammo mated goods
70 great degree ana Dougot acid phoS-
phate and acidulated rock, and mixed
il la acid or acidulated rock and half
cotton seed meal. Three or four Years
ago [ concluded had enough sulphuric
acid and phosphate in my land, end be-
gan to put in less phosphate and COM
mercial fertilizers, and brought it down
to one hundred pounds with whatever
amount OF meal used per acre. l am
now satisfied that where lands have b5en
continuously planted in cotton, that it is
unnecessary to apply commercial teftil,-
zsrs of any kind; the lands need rest
from them for at least a year. Ii you
buy at all, only buy to mix with meal,
where you plant on lands that were grown
in something besides cotton, and pnt
not over one hundred pounds to the
acre. There are various reasons for this.
By using little or no commercial ferthl-
zer the plant viii start of IN the spr1nga
little slow, will have less fruit in July and
stand the July and August drought.
Take the lower and middle cotton belts
of the cotton States and We want to make
late or August crop. we need but
little if any commercial fertilizer. line
upper or clay belts need little to get
July and August crop, will say one
pound OF commercial to three OF meal
or i:s equivalent OF seed. The clay LANDS
do not require any kainit Or potash.
This is not all theory. l know what !
am talking about. I know ii from actual
practice. Ii the farmers Of the cotton
country who buy commercial fertilizers
viii adopt this plan, say use at least one
third Of the amount they have been II
tie habit OF usirg, it will add many
millions to their purses, and enable them
to pay for fertilizers they have foollshly
thrown away. Don't blame the men who
manufacture or sell the fertilizers. We
hive encouraged them; and the demand
is now so great that wecau'tbe supplied,
except at price beyond our reach. Ihe
high price Will continue. 1t is lmpossl-
bic to check it in any way, except BY
. ElFiUR UuS 1tuO lOSI ALL o%J NA2S y ~'s~'
II you make the experiment one year
you will continue it, and prices Will Tor
many years be in due bounds. Our manu-
fscturers do not claim THAT the nome de-
rasnd has increased SO much, but foreign
demand. Just let the foreigners have 1t
all this year; we will save many millions.
We will have as much or more cotton,
and oay up back indebtedness.
Let the agricultural clubs, the Alliances
and Oranges consider this matter. II
there are no societies III your nelghbor.
hood, call the neighboss together and
calmly consider tae matter. Ii you can
not do this let every farmer decide tor
himself, and say, 81 Will for one year let
nv land rest from fertilizers" II Will not
look so bright for US in May ana jane,
but October and November will show
YOU where the millions nave been foolish
i " spent sor the last twenty years.
| have been told Of late that farmers
could not buy it; that his only chance
was to get it through his or some one
else's merchant. This may be true to
sons extent. OF course money enough
will buy it, but We doa'J need 1t. that Is
the subject tor US to consider, and Let
them that have it keep it. Spin out your
cotton seed from fifteen 60 twenty bash-
els to the acre. Mix the stable manure
fine and spread it with the hand. Make
it go over large area instead OF Care
lessly throwing it down in piles from
pitchiorb. Too many fertilizers are
dangerous. They have never done the
great amount of good we hsge imagined.
Good ana proper cultivation pays better
than large quantities of fertilizers. There
is SUCH a thing as too much ammonia,
and we oitener put too much than not
enough. The phosphate and kalnit, 0.
potash salt, are there to stay. Our land
:. needs rest from commercial fertilizers Us
much as they do rot.:ion. am almost
tenn pted to cay if ycu take my advice II
this matter and it proves wrong, appoint
o day next fall and hang me.
JAMES A. PsTERKN.
Fort Motto, January 10.