The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1889-08-29
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
Experience With Rust.

farming on some land that was said
cotton could not be raised on on
account of rust. The first year l broke
the land deep with small-furrow plows,
and then used 200 bushels of high
graded guano to the acre. The rust
struck the cotton the first of August,
and it looked like fire had singed
over it. I gathered that year 600
pounds of seed cotton to the acre.
That fall l sowed the land in small
grain. gathered fine crop of oats
from it. / kept my stock off of this
land, and allowed all the vegetation
to grow on it that would grow, which
was mostly the rag-weed. In the fall
and winter I worked these weeds into
the land. Preparing my land next
spring for cotton, 1 bedded up deep
and used 200 pounds of high
grade guano to the acre. That sum-
mer had some rust, but not near
rs bad as the first year. / gathered
700 pounds of seed cotton that fall to
the acre. then sowed the land in
oats, realizing a good crop of grain the
next year, which was the third crop
of cotton planted on the land. I
worked the vegetation under deep in
the fall, and in the spring I bedded
the land deep, and again used 200
pounds high-graded guano to the acre
and about twenty bushels of killed cot
ton seed to the acre. had no rust in
cotton that year. II gathered 1900
pounds of seed cotton to the acre.
Since then have sown this land aft
or each crop of cotton, and when
planted in cotton I use compost of
rough manure and cotton seed and a
good grade Of guano Gas I have used
different grades of guano l call no
nancy. have never had any rust in
my cotton since. / have gathered as
high as 2,400 pounds OF seed cotton
from some of this land to the acre.
Your North Carolina farmer says in
his inquiry that he had noticed that in
places where brush-heaps were burnt
cotton remained green. have noticed
this on my land. I think where we
find this to be the land is lacking of
potash.
AS to what caused my land to rust
can not say. But the plan I adopted,
In rotation of crops and manure,
caused the cotton to keep green until
killing frost, and have no more rust.
l would like to have your views of
what you think the real cause of this
land rusting SO in cotton, and what part
OF the management I gave to this land
that stopped the rust.
This land was very poor at first 1
think poor land is one cause of rust.
The land was planted so mary years
and had no rest, and was exposed to the
hot sun with no vegetation left to litter
the land. think man should sow
his land every other year if it is not
adapted to cotton or small grain. It
rests the land from one crop to the
other, and when sowed the hot sun
does not kill the land, and heavy rains
do not wash it Sowing the land makes
the best terraces you can put on it.
although / do both, but like sowing
the best For three reasons-it gives
rest to the land, keeps the land from
washing, and makes the best feed in
the land for your stock. Think of it, |
the best feed made in the land for stock
at the cost Of SIS, well spent, to feed |
one mule year It will take $75, at
the best, to make corn to feed one
mule year, and your land will get no |
rest That is what is the matter with I
the poor farmer now; he won't take |
care of his land, and tries to raise all |
corn to feed his stock, and fails at
that. Then takes his little cotton
money to pay for the raising of that
little corn, and to buy more corn to
feed, or to buy more mules to replace
the ones that died for the want of
good, wholesome food. Think if these
two inquirers will SOW their lands
down in small grain every other year.
and pillow their lands deep when pre-
pairing, and manure literally and Guilt
vate shallow, and don't let their crops
stand too long between workings, they
will soon have no rust in their cotton.
Farmer, in Southern Cultivation.