Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1889-07-18
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
Experience With Rust.


Thirteen years past commenced
farming 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 | 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 / 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
as bad as the first year. | gathered
900 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. l
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. / gathered l,2O0
pounds of seed cotton to the acre.
Since then | have sown this land aft
err each crop OF cotton, and when
| planted in cotton use compost OF
rough manure and cotton seed and a
good grade OF guano Gas l 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. 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 unit
killing frost, and have no more rust.
/ would like to have your views O.
what you think the real cause of this
land rusting so in cotton, and what par
Of the management gave to this land
that stopped the rust.
This land was very poor at first.
think poor land is one cause of rust
The land was planted so mary year,
and had no rest, and was exposed to thu
hot sun with no vegetation left to lite
the land. l think a man should SOW
his land every other year II it is no
adapted to cotton or small grain. |
rests the land from one crop to the
other, and when sowed the hot SUI
does not kill the land, and heavy rain
do not wash it. Sowing the land makes
the best terraces you can put on it
although | do both, but like sowin,
the best For three reasons-it give
rest to the land keeps the land from
washing, and makes the best feed il
the land for your stock. Think of it
the best feed made in the land for stocl
at the cost of SIS, we'll spent, to feet
one mule year. 1t will take $75, a
the best. to make corn to feed on
mule year, and your land will get N
rest That is what is the matter wit
the poor farmer now; he won't talk
care of his land. and tries to raise al
corn to feed his stock, and fails a
that. Then takes his little cotto
money to pay for the raising of tina
little corn, and to buy more corn t
feed, or to buy more mules to replac
the ones that died for the want Q
good, wholesome food. Think If thes
two inquirers will sow their land
down in small grain every other yeal
and pillow their lands deep when pre-
pairing, and manure literally and cult
, vate shallow, and don't let their crop
stand too long between workings, the
will soon have no rust in their cottor
Farm or in Southern CultivatOr