The Bossier banner., 1895-10-17
FARMER AND PLANTER.
COTTON CULTURE.
Something More About Aids to Its ln-
provement.

3
restoration of our land so as to make
the maximum crops possible, and spoke
of the southern cow pea IN starting
this improvement.
Within the past five years another |
crop has been introduced to the notice
of our farmers that promises to be the |
greatest aid and ally of the cow pea |
for the southern farmer that has yet
been tested. This is the annual win
ter growing clover, now known as
crimson clover. There is no plant that
fits in so well with the COW pea as
forage crop for the south, or as
renovating crop. l have been urging
the merits of this clover upon the cot
ton farmers of the south for several
years, and not only on the cotton farm
ers, but on all of our farmers alike.
Mr.. r. p. McAnally, of Saxon, n. c.,
writes that he tried crimson clover
three years ago but it grew only nine
inches high and he discarded it. But
recently he was induced to give it an
| her trial with the help of 500 pounds
| of kainlt per acre narrowed in with
| the seed, and now he reports won
| derful growth-"as thick as the hair
on dogs back" This shows that his
soil needed the help of the potash in
| the KANT to enable it to gather
nitrogen for him. The great ad-
| vantage to the cotton farmer in the
| crimson clover crop is that he can SOW
| it all through his cotton field after
the cultivation is over in August and
will have a green pasture all winter
IN place of a bare soil washing away
all through the winter rains, and will
have growth to plow under
for corn in the spring that will
insure him good crop. Then
as l have said, it fits in well with the
COW pea crop, for as soon as the peas
are cut for hay he can sow the clover
seed on the land after stirring it with
a cutaway harrow, and can pasture it
till time to put the land in order for
cotton.
Mr. VIM. Choice, OF Spartanburg, S.
C., writes that he had an outlying
farm that he tried to sell as he had
more land than he needed, but failing
to do so, he asked my advice how to
treat it, as the land had been badly
run down under the old one-crop-
planting system. advised him to use
literally potash salts and dissolved
phosphate rock, and SOW it down in
crimson clover. He prepared in Au-
gust large field and did as directed.
The results have been, he says, more
than satisfactory. "ln April, follow
ing, the clover was in full bloom, and
Df io}, :
off in time to plant cotton. Planted
on the clover sod, without any other
manure, and the young cotton now
shows that rich, rank growth which is
fair harbinger of a good crop. This
goes to show that proper rotation
with crimson clover as the basis of re
cuperatiOn, will make the farm ricl
anu at the same time give paying
crops.
Here, then, we see the effect of on,
we'll fertilized crop of crimson clover
the hay from which fully paid all ex
pense of fertilizers, in giving the prom
ise of good crop without further fer
tilization. No bills for complete fer
tilizers at high price to be paid on
of that cotton. This shows what
have for years been insisting upon
n that the true way to fertilize for on
sale crops is to use the cheaper form
= of mineral plant food to grow heav
crop of the plants that are going t
ca apture for US the nitrogen that cost
so much in a complete fertilizer
and thus not only get heav
. forage crop to feed for the making c
a profit out of stock. and to make ou
manure pile larger, but thus fix n
troren in the land for the succeedin
crop of cotton or corn. This is in e
feet not only getting the fertilize
!. free for the cotton crop, but the mai
ing of profit in doing SO and at tn
:, same time have the satisfaction
know that our soil is actually bein
improved by the process. 1t has bee
well said that "the coming farmer {
=, the south will be legume farmer"
Cow peas and crimson clover, with
liberal use of the cheap potash an
phosphates, lie at the very foundatic
n | of all rational farm improvement
4 the south. BY their aid the land nee
IL never, either in winter or summer,
left to the wasting of rains and sun
lying bare, but between every hoed ere
may be covered with a growth to vie
profit while it gathers fertility for Il
land and food for the sale crops. b
it must not be assumed that the
crops will bring all the elements
lS futility to a soil that has been e
d. hausted by long tillage and exposu
to the teaching effects of rain and su
If you want the leguminous crops y
must feed them. They will gath
nitrogen for you free, but they can n
get the potash and phosphoric ae
NJ that the crops of former years ha
IN taken away from the soil, and wit
out these are given them they can +
get the nitrogen they would with
well-developed growth, and you W
not only use the hay crop they wot
give, but the effect on the soil for 81
- sequent crops. Nothing from nothi
C. and nothing remains. 1t will pay
better to put liberal dressing of
=. cheap mineral fertilizers on the I