The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-11-26
EXPERIMENTS WITH COTTON.
Results of Tests at the Experiment Sta
ti0n,

The second bulletin of the Clemson
Agricultural College and experiment sta
tion, comprising the report of DIR. J. NJ
McBryde, formerly director of the State
experiment station, on "Cotton Expert
ments with Varieties and with Fertili
zers," has just been issued. It is very
lengthy and covers the results and aver
ages in several series of tests bearing
upon important open questions in the
culture of some of our leading crops,
which tests were begun in 1887 and con-
tinued until 1890 at the Darlington and
Spartanburg experimental farms. At
each farm a piece of land, apparently
uniform throughout in its mechanical and
chemical condition, was selected for each
series of tests and divided up into plats
of one twentieth of an acre each.
The period during which the tests were
made included years very unlike in the
character of their seasons. The combin-
ed averages for the two farms for the
three years covers three favorable end
three unfavorable seasons, and are enti-
tied to great weight as representing fair
average of seasons. As to the results of
the tests on cotton the report says:
"While there are indications that the
long staple and the short staple groups
are rather moro productive than the Rio
Grande, they are not sufficiently 60 to
compensate, in yield or lint, for their
lower percentages of lint.
"It would appear to follow from the
results of the tests that in working to i'm.
prove any strain of the long or short sta
pie type, while the matter Of productive.
ness should not be neglected, attention
should be largely directed to increasing
its percentage of lint. In the improve
ment of strains of the Rio Grande type,
on the other hand, the chief aim should
be to increase their productiveness.
"Well directed and continuous effort
will improve the quality of the fibre as
we'll as increase the percentage of lint and
the productiveness of the plant"
The report discussed the manurial re-
quirements Of cotton. The conclusions
reached are that cotton requires nitrogen,
phosphoric acid and potash, of which
acid is relatively the most
important and controls the action of the
other two. Nitrogen is relatively more
important than potash. The proportion
and amounts of these ingredients are: l
nitrogen, 2l phosphoric acid and potash,
and the amounts called for by crop
yielding 800 pounds of lint per acre are,
nitrogen 90 pounds, phosphoric acid 50
pounds, potash 15 pounds.
The amounts of acid and proportionate
amounts of nitrogen and potash cannot
be indefinitely increased with the expec.
tation of obtaining corresponding in
crease in the crop.
The gain in crop does not keep pace
with increase of fertilizers, and point is
speedily reached beyond which this gain
is not sufficient to meet the additional
cost of the heavier applications. The
Boil cannot pro6tably be forced-the ap-
plication of fertilizers must be regulated
by its mechanical as we'll as chemical
condition.
"Stable manure containing organic
nitrogen is the best fertilizer of its class
and lasting or cumulative in its effects.
Of the commercial forms of nitrogen
amopg which the farmer has to choose,
the organic nitrogen of dried blood is
perhaps the best, and atpresent times the
cheapest. As between cotton seed meal
and cotton seed there is slight difference
in favor of the former. Whole cotton
seed is as ef6cacious as ground cotton
seed. Applications Of copperas are
without effect upon cotton. Nitrate of
soda should generally be applied along
with the other fertilizers at the tims of
planting. Fertilizers may be indiferently
drilled or broadcasted where they are
literally applied, but drilling is to be
preferred where small amounts are en-
ployed."
As to the modes Of planting cotton, at
both farms close planting gave about the
same average as wide planting. The
agreement between the averages of The
checked and drilled is surprisingly close.
Ap increase of from one half foot to one.
foot between the rows made no difference
in the average results. owe are forced
to conclude that, as far as cur tests 60,
one method of planting will give about
the same results as the other. Checking,
howa 7er, saves hand labor and gives the
far ..er more command over his crop. 1t
is somewhat cheaper than drilling. The
distance between the rows, within certain
limits, does not affect the results as much
as is generally supposed"
Topping proved of no benefit whatever
to the crop. The tests also showed no
evidence of any beneficial action upon
The soil of the oat crop sown between the
cotton rows.
Several experiments were made in Or
1er to ascertain whether COW peas could
be advantageously grown aloug with cot
;on. At Spartanburg, in consequence of
,he character and condition of the land
and the unfavorable seasons, the pea crop
vas comparative failure every year. At
Darlington the warm and light soil favor
I'd TIE growth of the peas, and fair crops
we're obtained. The results of the latter
.ests clearly establish the value of the
COW pea as renovating crop and as
cheap aud effective source Of nitrogen.
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