The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1895-10-19
FARMER AND PLANTER.
COTTON CULTURE
Something More About Aids to It's Inn.

| In former article l referred to the
Importance of leguminous crops in the
| 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 til a
fits in SO we'll with the COW pea as a
forage crop for the south, or as a
| renovating crop. 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. =. McAna!ly, of Saxon, N. G..
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
other trial with the help of 500 po,l nds
OF KANT per acre narrowed in with
the seed, and now he reports won
derfu1 growth-''as thick the hair
on n 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 adj
vantage to the cotton farmer in the
crimson clover crop is that he can SOW
1t all through his cotton field after
the cultivation is over in August and
Will have green pasture all winter
all through the winter rains. and will
have growth to pillow under
for corn in the spring that will
insure him good crop. Then
as l have said. it fits in well with the
COS" pea CROP for as soon as the peas
<<>~, I, H.
seed on the land after stirring it with
a cuta way harrow, and can pasture it
till time to put the land in order for |
cotton.
Mr.. VIM. Choice, of Spartanburg. $.
e., writes that he had an outlying |
more land than he needed, but failing
to do So he asked my advice how to |
treat 1t. as the land had been badly
run down under the old one-crop-
planting system 1 advised him to use
literally potash salts and dissolved
phosPhatic rock, and sow it down in
crimson clover. lie prepared in Au-
gust a large field and did as directed
The results have been, he says more
han satisfactory. I'm April, follow
ng. the clover was in full bloom, and
made large crop of hay which was
III in time to plant cotton. PIauted
IN the clover sod, without anv other
y
hows that rich, rank growth which is
fair harbinger of good crop. This
'oes TO show that "a proper rotation,
With crimson clover as the basis OF re-
uPera tion, will make the farm rich
nd at the same time give paying
rOps.
Hero, then, we see the effect of one
crop of crimson clover,
he hay from which fully paid all ex- .
snse OF fertilizers, in giving the prom.
&c OF a good crop without further fer !
liza ton. No bills for complete fer
lizcrs at high price to be paid out
that cotton. This shows what I .
ave for years been insisting upon, :
nat the true way to fcrtilize for our | ,
tie crops is to use the che a per forms .
mineral plant food to grow a heavy ;
OPP OF the plants that are going to =
'Pture for us the nitrogen that costs =
} much in complete fertilizer, .
nj thus not only get heavy y
rage crop to feed for the making Of y
profit out of stock, and to make our :,
anur.. pile larger, but thus fix nj :
ogen in the land for the succeeding :,
op OF cotton Or corn. This is in eff h
ct not only getting the fertilizer 7,
ee FOR tie cotton crop. but the MAX
g OF a profit in doing SO and at the
me time have the Sd tisfa ction to
low that our soil is actually being n
'proved by the process. 1t has been n
eli sd ~ tHiit tne coming farmer of | II
e south will be a legume farmer" a
Cow peas and crimson clover, with a ! IL
'cral use of the cheap potash and ~
osphates, lie at the very foundation it
all rational farm Improvement in 8,
c south. BY their id the land need g.:
Yer, either in winter or summer, be | q,
It to the wasting of rains and sun by b,
ing bare, but between every hoed crop b,
~ be covered with growth to yield | II
ofit while it gathers fertility for the CO
nd and food for the sale crops. But III
must not be assumed that these II
BPS Will bring all the elements of II,
ility to a soil that has been ex- re
ustcd by long tillaEe and exposure til
the ieachinG effects of rain and sun. n
you want the lcGuminous crops you Or
st feed them They will gather III
roGen for you free, but they can not +:
the potash and phosphoric acid
1T the crops of former years have
KEN away from the soil, and with
these arc given them they can not
tie nitrogen they would with a ca
n-dcvclopcd growth, and you will cla
only use the hay crop they would q,
c, but the effect on the soil for s,1 b. gr
uent crops. Nothing from nothing te
nothing remains 1t will pay far
Ter to put liberal dressing of the is
aP mineral fertilizers on the pea la
clover crops, than to put the same go
ney value in II iighg grade fertilizer we
the cotton crop direct, and not only co
better in the cotton CROP bat in | fe,
permanent Improvement of the
i Hnving these two crops then as bl.
ct anchors in our efforts to grow | raj