The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1889-08-31
sOUd FERN AGRICULTURAL.



Thif teen years past commenced
farmit g on some land that was said
cotton could not be raised on on
account of rust. The first year 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. l gathered that year 600
pounds of seed cotton to the acre.
That fall l sowed the land in small
grain. gathered a fine crop of oats
from it kept my stock of 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 / worked these weeds into
the land. Preparing my land next
spring for cotton, bedded up deep
and used 200 pounds of high
grade guano to the acre. That sum-
mer ! had some rust, but not near
AZ bad as the first year. gathered
700 pounds of seed cotton that fall to
the acre then sowed the land in
oats, realizing good crop of grain the
next year, which was the third crop
of cotton planted on the land. /
worked the vegetation under deep in
the fall. and in the spring / 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. l 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 1 have used
different grades of guano / call no
name). have never had any rust in
my cotton since. I 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. / 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 adopted,
in rotation of crops and manure,
caused the cotton to keep green until
killing frost, and have no more rust.
/ 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 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 a man should SOW
his land every other year If it is not
adapted to cotton or small grain. 1t
rests the land from one crop to the
other, and when sowed the hot sun
Ices not kill the land, and heavy rains
10 not wash it Sowing the land makes
he best terraces you can put on it.
although do both, but like sowing
he best For three reasons-it gives
'est to the land, keeps the land from
and makes the best feed in
he land for your stock. Think of it,
he best feed made in the land for stock
It the cost OF SIS, we'll spent, to feed
'ne mule year. 1t will take SIS, at
he best, to make corn to feed one
mule year, and your land will get no
est That is what is the matter with
he poor farmer now; he won't take
are of his land. and tries to raise all
'0rn to feed his stock, and fails at
hat Then takes his little cotton
money to pay for the raising of that
title corn, and to buy more corn to
eed, or to buy more mules to replace
he ones that died for the want of
'ood. wholesome food. Think if these
wo inquirers will SOW their lands
own in small grain every other year,
nd pillow their lands deep when pre-
airing, and manure literally and culti- /.
ate shallow, and don't let their crops
tand too long between workings, they
Till soon have no rust in their cotton.
Farmer. in Southern Cultivator.