The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-03-19


value from one or the other ways of
disposing of it; and, in the end, the
effect which will be exerted; first, on
his farm; second, in the net value re-
ceived in other articles including a re-
turn of the draft made on the soil, and
third, it's effect on the competition
which the sale of this seed brings back
to him in the production of other ar
ticles of Importance.
OF THE EFFECT ON THE FARM
Cotton growing is q neat and easy
branch of husbandry. You plow,
plant, cultivate, hoe and pick out the
seed cotton and move it to. the gin all
in the regular business hours of the
mechanic. Nature does all the rest, ex-
cept that the speculator sets the price
and you wonder, when the cash or bill
of credit is in your hand, whether it is
worth the candle or not. If you have
had an exceptionally favorable season,
your soil was bountiful and the yield
large, you will putyour head up against
some other fellow and figure down the
cost to the minimum, aye, below what
it actually did cost, and drawing a
comparison with exceptional yield,
publish statement to the world that
cotton can be successfully grown so
long as the price remains above your
low figure, and the world goes to bed
with the conviction that cotton farm
ers are getting rich. This is a sample of
the farmers plans of keeping trade
secrets. 1t is as broad as is this coun-
try and confined to no branch of agri-
culture. What merchant does not
guard with care the amount of margin
he can secure on each article he offers
for sale2
What lawyer, doctor, or other pro
tessional man does not think of the
years of study, nights of toll and days
on which no fees come to him, and
charge you enough over the days ex
penses to cover a proportional part Of
all. What manufacturer does not
count interest on plant. breakages,
wear and tear and other expenses, and
keep all these in mind in afixing prices
on his waree7 Why should not every
farmer pay some regard to these and
keep his balances on crops as close as
others do their similar interests. But
with your favorable year and large
yield an exceedingly large part of the
capital invested in soil has been re-
moved and stored as crop. How much
ought to laid aside to be returned, or
how much should be Immediately put
back on that field with the fall sowing
of clover or wheat or grass seed? or
the seed cotton approximately one
third ia lint which comes mostly from
the free elements in air and water.
T~o-thirds is seed, and in this we shall
find the principal draft on the soil.
The stalks are broken down and
plowed in 80 their elements return
eventually to the soil. If the product
Of each acre we're 1. 900 pounds of seed,
it is easy to find out what has been re-
moved. From the annual report OF
the N. @. Experiment Station for 1892
we find an excellent article showing
what the seed, their bulls, the kernels
and the resulting meal contains, and
which has been taken up from the soil,
The most important Of these in 1. .OOC
pounds of seed are as follows: Seed
divided into bulls 500 pounds, kernels
500 pounds.
Total
in ,00C
lbs seed
Potash S96. 57S5, G5.S8l
PhOsic Acid " I" 04S4, " 65, 9l34
Lime - - 0S1 OS2, l6
The value of these, to put back on
the land Fertilizer Control Bulletin)
potash &C., phosporic acid 43c., am
monia 14c equivalent to nitrogen 17c)
| N PO 4 n