The Van Buren press., 1895-08-10
FARMER AND PLANTER
COTTON CULTURE.
Some Aids to improvement In Its Prodss-
tion In the south.

Some Aids to improvement in Its Prodss-
tion In the south.
In q former article I have shown
that what the south needs is not an
abandonment of her great staple, but
. system of culture that will increase
the crop per acre, SO that the crop can
be grown at less expense and on rc-
duced acreage, This is to be done oniy
by an a band donnent Of the old method
of planting cotton year after year on
the same land. by the aid OF expensive
fertilizers, and the substitution for 1t
of systematic farming methods, IN
which a rotation of crops shall be de-
yised, all suited to the southern condl-
tions, and which shall all tend TO the
increase of the yield per acre OF the
cotton crop, through a syste
building up of the fertility OF the SOIL
1t is now a well-settled fact that
economical soil Improvement IN hny
part Of the country must be accom-
plished through the aid OF the plants
known to botanists as the leguminos@'
or the pea family. 1t has been
demonstrated that this family OF
plants all have the power to get ana
FIX in the soil from the air the element
nitrogen, which is one of the essential
elements of plant food, without which
no green plant can grow, and which Is
the most costly part of our fertilizers
when purchased in the market. In the
northern aud middle states. and in the
upper Piedmont part of the south
Atlantic states, the ordinary red clover
is the best leRume for general farm
purposes, making, as 1t does, ex-
cellent hay, and rapidly adding humus
to the soil. as we'll as gathering the nj
trogen for the succeeding crop But in
all ofthe sandy plain Of the south the
red clover will not thrive through the
long summers, and 1t becomes necessary
to resort to some other plant to take its
place. Fortunately. we are not with
out one eminently adapted to the
wants Of the south, and one that will
do more in the same length of time for
the improvement of our sou thern lands
than red clover could if it were per-
feet success. This has been well
termed ''the clover of the SOUTH" the
COW pea. Years ago those planters
who wished to do something for their
land and not crop it necessarily,
were in the habit Of resting it in
alternate years; that is, they allowed
1t to lie idle a whole season, and
gather coat of weeds and grass to be
plowed under for the next crop This,
of course, was to some extent better
than the constant cultivation and the
use of fertilizers merely to force sale
crop. But it involved the keeping OF
half the land continually producing
nothing of value, and, worse than this,
1t brought in weeds and grass to make
the labor of the next years cultivation
more costly and difficult. 1t was only
one phase of planting, and was not
farming as business-like man should.
We know now that the best way to rest
land is to keep it at work growing some
thing that will be of advantage to the
soil, and at the same time bring money
to the farmers purse. between every
sale crop of cotton or grain In the ef-
fort now being made in many places
to diversity our crops, there is too lit
tie notion that the crops nsed to make
the diversity can not only be made to
serve the purpose Of food for the
farmer, and his stock, but that they
can also be made subsidiary sale crops
to the staple crop Of cotton. We hear
of farmers who have grown a crop of
corn, congratulating themselves that
they have corn enough for two or
more years, totally ignoring the mar
ket value of the corn, or its value to
put into stock for immediate sale, and
forgetting that boarded grain is worse
than boarded money in its rapid de-
probation by reason OF shrinkage and
insect depredations. The effort should
be made to make the most profit
able use of the diversifying crops to
increase the profit of the farm.
In getting away from the bondage OF
the one crop of cotton we should en-.
deavor to get as money producers as
many other products as is consistent
with the proper carrying ont of the ro-
tation adopted. Even the recuperative
crops Of peas, grown while the land is
resting" should be used as forage for
live stock, and while improving the
land should at the same time be made
to improve the pocket book as well.
The corn crop, unless the markets. toe
good for the grain, should, with Its
oder, be made to promote the same
purpose either in feeding beef and
pork or for the dairy. The straw
of the oat crop comes in play for the
same purpose, and all enter into
the improvement of the manure pile,
and consequently Of the soil. Weth'
er the cotton farmer should sell
the grain he grows in rotation with
cotton will depend almost entirely
upon his location. II he is where he
can sell the products of the dairy tc
advantage, it may be better for him tc
use the grain mainly in that way. But
If he has good market for grain, he
had better usually sell his surplus and
sell it before it has deprecated by the
myraids of weevils and other insects
that prey SO rapidly on grain stored in
southern climate. He will start usual
ly on a soil that has been badly depleted
of plant food, and the greatest problem
that usually comfronts him is, how car
get my land into productive condi
tion, so that can adopt and maintain q
regular rotation of crops? BY the cul.
ture of peas and clover can secure all
the needed nitrogen from the air, but
where am to get the food for plants
there that will enable me to get the
best crops of peas and clover? Oul
sandy soils are usually deficient in botf
phosphoric acid and potash, particular
l, In notash arrhasa are 1ninaral mat