The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-01-25
AIT. PETERKIN ON THE COMMERCIAL
FERTILIZER QUESTION. -

-
the Editor ofthes Neps and Courier:
Que Qfthp cbiefcauses of the mpover-
ished condition of the farmers is the
use of too much commercial fertilizer
and the iDjudicious application Of the
same. For twenty years We have bought
any and every thing that has been offer
ed for sale. All that has been necessary
was to put something in u sack or bar
rel and brand some UNUSUAL or peculiar
name on it. / do not accuse manufacturers
of fraud but do accuse my brother
farmers Of being the biggest set of
fools there issin all the land, and the
writer the king of fools, or the biggest
FOOL Of all. sr1V' faa'' -
For several years I bought am monia-
ted fertilizers athigh prices, and applied
in connection with cotton seed meal or
cotton seed intbe natural state. After
spending thousands of dollars in this
foolish wayS. L dropped the ammoniated
goods to.a great degree and bought acid
phosphate apd acidulated rock, aud mix
ed it half acM or acidulated rock and
half cotton seed meal. Three or four
years ago | concluded had enough
sulphurio acid and phosphate in my
and, aud began to put in less phosphate
| and commercial fertilisers, aud brought
it down to one hundred pounds wi; h
what ever amount Of meal [ used per
acre. / am now satisfied that where
lands lave been continuously planted in
cotton, that it is. unnecessary to apply
commercial fertilizers of any kind; the
land needs rest from them for at least
one year. IF you buy at all, only by
to mix with meal, where youi plant
on lands that were grown in some
thug beside cotton, and put not over one
hupdred pounds to the acre. There
| are various reasons for this. By using
little or no commercial fertilizer the
plant will start off in the spricg a little
slow, will havo less fruit in July and
stand the July and August drought.
Take the lower aud middle cotton belts
Of the cotton States and we want to
make late or August crcp. We need
but little if any commercial fertilizer.
The upper or clay belts need . little
to get July and August crop, will say
QUE pouud of, commercial to. threo Of
meal or its equivalent of seed. The
clay lands do not require any kainit or
potash ...
This is not all theory I know what
am talking about. 8. / know it from
actual practice. Ifthe farmers of the
cotton country who buy commercial fer
tilizers will adopt this plan, say hse at
least yone-third Of the amount they have
been in the habit using it will add many
| millions to their purses, and enablo them
to payfor fertilizers they foolishly thrown
away. Don't blame the men who man.
facture OF, sell the fertilizers. We have
encouraged them; and the demand is
now so great that we can't be supplied i,
except at price beyond our reach. The
high price will continue. It is impossi-
BILE to check it in any way, except by
giving the land rest for say ono year.
If you make the experiment one
year you will continue it, and prices
will for many years be in due bounds
Our manufacturers do not claim that
the nome demand has increased SO much
but foreign demand Just let the
foreigners have 1t all this year, We will
save millions. We will have as much
or more cotton, and pay up back indebt-
| edness.
Let the agricultural clubs, the AL
lianees and Oranges consider this mat
ter. II there are no societies in your
neighborhood, call the neighbors ,toge,h-
er and calmly consider this matter. If
you cannot do this let every farmer de-
eide for himself, and say will for one
year let my land rest from fertilizers
IL will not look so bright for us in May
and June, but October and November
will show you where the millions have
beeu foolishly spent for 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
some extent. or course money enough
will buy it, but We don't need it. Thai
is the subject for US to consider, and LEI
them that have it keep it. Spin ou,
your cotton seed from fifteen to twenty
bushels to the acre. Mix the stable
manure fino and spread it with the
hand. Make it 60 over large area in
stead of carelessly throwing it down III
] piles from pitchiork Too many ferti
lzers are dangerous. They have never
done the great amount nf COED We haye
imagined. Good and proper cultivation
pays better than large quantities Of fer
Etilizers.., There is such thing as too
much ammonia, and we ofteuer put tor
much than enough. The phosphate and
kainit or potash saltare there to stay. Gu,
land needs rest from commercial fertili
zers as much as they do. rotation.
am almost tempted to say ifyou take my
advice in this matter and it proves
4 M aonn.ct L. r. n = u