The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1894-07-12
New Ground w. Old land

z. s., Bremen, Ga.-0) Would it he more
profitable to buy and clear up wild land costing
u? Q acre. or buy adjoining land of the same
original fertility that has been we'll cultivated in
corn and cotton for ten years, at the same price
The, question is whether the land that has re-
ceived the ordinary cultivation and fertilization
Tor ten years can be b'dlt up with green ma
nuring and fertilizing to equal the new land at
less expense than the cost of clearing. t2).
"worn-out land
Answered by Director Redding: l
would prefer to buy the old land if it
has been reasonably we'll cared for and
not In gullies, rather than unreclaimed
forest land of same original character,
at the same price, unless l could sell
the fuel and timber at a good price.
BY proper rotation of peas, or clover.
corn. small grain, and cotton. and the
judicious use of fertilizers the old land
may be brought up to a higher produc.
tiveness In three or four years than il
ever had, and at less expense than II
would cost to remove the forest growth.
stumps and roots from the new land. j
would first SOW the land in small grain
oats, rye or wheet-fertilizing well.
After harvesting the small grain imme.
diately SOW in COW peas, using one
bushel of seed and applying 200 pounds
of acid phosphate and rs pounds OF
muriate of potash per acre. Make hay
of the pea vines and immediately turn
under the stubble and sow in rye -Esay
in without manure. Turn
under the rye in February and plant in
cotton, fertilizing with compost, or
with commercial fertilizers. The fol-
lowing would be a good formula. per
acre:
$50 pounds Superphosphate,
20 pounds Muriate OF Potash,
(Or 50 pounds ka'uit)
90 pounds Nitrate of Soda,
(Or 100 pounds Cotton MeaD.I
Instead of the above you might apply
400 pounds of well balanced, high
grade guano, in a brand that would
analyze:
Phosphate Acid (available). per cent
Potash (K2O) Extraordinarily 500 Der cent
Nitrogen $50. .......... .......... 800 per cent
Or, 1000 to 1900 pounds of a we'll bal.
anced compost of stable or COW ma
nure, acid phosphate and cotton meal.
In August give the cotton a light
narrowing and at the same time sow in
rye-half bushel per acre: or perhaps
September would be early enough To
sow the rye, the object being for the
rye to appropriate any soluble fertili-
ger left in the soil Gy the cotton and to
keep the land from washing during the
Wluter. fou may Craze the rye lightly
during the winter. In February turn
under the rye and plant in corn in
April, using as far as possible stable
manure compost. Sow peas in corn at
last blowing and gather the peas when
ripe, or pasture with stock. Then sow
in wheat or oats for a grain crop. fer
tilizlng well, thus commencing another
three year rotation. The fourth wear
it will be in cotton again, and if ma
nured little heavier than before. II
should yield nearly, or quite, one bale
per acre.
Of course the above system is subject
TO such modification and changes as the
circumstances nav demand. For in
stance in the second three-years rotation
red clover may take the place of COW
peas, and occupy the land two years.
thus extending the series four wears.