The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-01-30
FERTILIZERS IND COTTG::.
's:.s Price %; o." ;.ccps rarc T::,: the
other.


An intelligent farmer. who is not
disposed TO bc:;c;.e everything that he
hears and does :o5 take anything for
granted. talked 10 4 reporter for the
News and Courier the other day in a
very Entertaining w&y about the farm
crs and fertilizers. His views were 50
interesting and some of his conclu-
sions so surprising that what be said
is given as follows:
The drop in the price of cotton
from seven to five cents" he said,
may we'll cause CONSERVATION to the
planters. Some ten years ago it fell
from twelve to eight cents, and then.
as now. planters were advised to plant
less cotton. to raise more corn and
meat and. before ali else to quit using
fertilizers. but1his advice was unheed-
ed and. for reasons satisfactory to
himself, the planter continued to plant
all the cotton he could, to buy his
corn and meat and to use fertilizers.
with the drop in the price of cot
ten from seven to five cents the same
advice to plant less cotton, raise more
food and use no fertilizers is offered
the planters But the situation under
which we face fve-cent, possibly four
cent. cotton is entirely unlike any be-
fore known by the planter. AS for
planting less cotton and thereby en-
haacing the price: High priced cotton
has its disadvantages. 1t has induced
the most strenuous efforts to produce
cotton in other countries. and these
efforts have been very successful and
are recognized as a menace to our
boasted supremacy in cotton produc-
ton. As foreign grown wheat has
forced down the worlds price, so it is
that foreign grown cotton alone has
forced down the price in this country.
This foreign competition has come 10
stay. and we must meet it by 5m-
proved methods and increased econo-
mics, so that possibly we can grow
even fcur-cent cotton at profit, and
thus recover our former supremacy IN
the markets of the world With five
cent cotton the cotton belt has all the
natural factors for manufacturing low
grade cotton goods for large portion
of the world. The advice so persist
emily given for years that we raise
more of our own food is now being so
well followed that this season a good
portion Of the planters commence the
year with enough corn and meat OF
their own raising for the years sup
ply.
".As to the advice that less or no fer
.ilizers be used there is more to be
said than upon either of the other
points referred 70 above That the
South will continue to plant cotton
in much the same proportion hereto
fore there are good reasons to believe.
1t is now largely growing its own
food, and is so thoroughly satisfied
with the result that it will continue to
crow It's corn and meat in increased
proportions each year. When cotton
sold at IS cents pound, on much OF
the land it could not be grown at a
profit without the use of fertilizers.
About 1870 fertilizers were introduced
and their use increased from year to
wear from that time until last year
some 500. 900 to 900, 900 tons were un-
der cotton.
When cotton sold for Is cents
pound fertilizers sold for S75 a ton.
Fertilizers that time furnished less
than one-half the percentage Of plant
food that they furnish now. At first
only fifty pounds per acre was used.
It was found advantageous to increase
this quantity, until now the average
used per acre is 200 pounds. To pay
for this 200 pounds with cotton at IS
cents pound and fertilizer at SS775 per
ton took 50pounds of cotton, or 80;
with cotton at 10 cents and fertilizers
at so ton it still takes so pounds of
cotton to pay for the 200 pounds of
fertilizer for one acre. Cotton at 6
cents pound and fertilizers at $50 a
ton, so pounds of cotton pays for 200
pounds of fertilizers; with cotton at 4
cents pound and fertilizer at $50 a
ton, so pounds of cotton still pays for
200 pounds of fertilizer. The. planter.
has always paid the proceeds of 50
pounds of cotton for the fertilizer for
an acre. This he did, and found a sat
isfactory profit in it, when fertilizer
sold for SIS per ton Through all the
stages of the decline In price of cotton
from Is cents to cents per pound the
cost of fertilizer has kept an even pace
with it. so that for the past twenty
years the fertilizer for an acre in cot
ton could be paid for with the pro
cceds of so pounds of cotton. Remark
able as this statement may appear 1t
is nevertheless absolutely true. To
this statement may be added the fact
for his 50 pounds of cotton the plant
er now receives twice as much plant
food as he received for it twenty-four
years ago.
There has been no time in the his
tory of cotton growing when fertilizer
could be used at better percentage Of
profit to the planter than now. Upon
the ordinary impoverished soil 100
pounds of cotton is Il fair average
weld. This means starvation to the
planter, hence for years the planter
has found it a prime necessity to pay
fo- his supply of fertilizer, as without
that he could not farm. With 200
pounds Of fertilizer per acre 25O
pounds OF lint is & fair average crop.
This shows net gain OF 100 pounds
of lint per acre from fertilizer costing
e. pounds of cotton or 200 per cent.
Without fertilizer the planter will
make nothing over cost of cultivation,
or woald show a positive loss. Using
fertilizer It returns its cost in cotton,
also profit of double its cost. OF
course the price at which the cotton is
sold makes 4 great difference to the
planter, but It's percentage Of profit
remains the same. If cotton is at 4
cents pound, but 81 profit per acre is
made by the use of fertilizer, but this
IS q net profit. Enough cotton having