The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1896-08-01
FARMER AND PLANTER.
THE COTTON FIELD.
DO Not Leave 1t Bare During the Next
Winter.


staple money crop, which, if properly
used, is the least exhaustive crop on
soil that can be grown. And yet, UNI
der the system that has been pursued
in the south it is we'll known that the
soil has become depleted. BUTT is not
the growing of the cotton that has ex-
hausted 1t. OF the cotton fiber not
over two per ce mt. comes from the soil,
all the remainder being the result OF
the assimilation of carbon from the air
under the influence of the sunshine.
The matters that are drawn from the
soil are mainly in the stems, leaves
and seed. Even the oil that is in the
seeds is the result of the same assimi-
lation of carbon from the air. 1t
should be plain then that If the plant
and the meal and bulls of the crop are
returned to the soil, the growing OF
the cotton crop should not exhaust the
land to any serious extent. But the
land has been exhausted mainly by
the system that has been pursued in
the culture of the plant Year after
year the land is kept exposed to the
sun in the clean culture demanded by
the crop, and all winter the bare soil
lies exposed to the washing OF the
heavy rainfall of the south, and these
influences have been far more respon-
sible for the exhaustion of the cot
ton lands than any growing OF
the crop itself How to avoid
these untoward influences should
be a matter of interest to every
thinking farmer, in the south. 1t mas
long been a notion in the south that
the cotton crop will not adapt itself to
any farm rotation as is practiced by
all improving farmers in other Sec
tions. This is an error. The cotton
crop can be as well cultivated In ro-
tation that will constantly tend to
build up the soil as any other money
crop that is grown in this country
But the rotation that would be best
with the crops grown northward is not
of necessity the best for the cotton
farmer. Every cultivator should study
his special money crop, and adapt all
his farming to the purpose of increas-
ing the capacity of his soil
for the production of that
crop in the most economical manner.
Big crops can doubtless be made by
piling on fertilizers with lavish
hand, but whether such course Is
economical is very questionable.
Growing crops merely by the aid OF
complete fertilizers is planting, but it
is not farming in the true sense. But
farm rotations that are adapted to the
crops and climatic conditions in the
northern states are seldom the best
for the cotton belt. But it is perfectly
feasible to devise crop rotations that
will suit our soil and climate, and that
will enable the southern cotton
farmer to keep stock, and iced
them well and build up the
productiveness of his acres for
the staple crop, for, no matter what
may be said by pessimists, cotton Is
and must be, over the greater part OF
the south, the main money crop, and
we must learn to grow it under the
changed conditions that leave no
profit to the old style planter. Now,
while the crop is growing. is the time
to plan better practices for the future,
and we would say in all earnestness,
prepare now to have some soil cover
growing on your cotton field next win
ter to keep the plant food from all being
washed out, and to add humus and
nitrogen to the soil. The best plant
Cor this purpose is doubtless the an
uual crimson clover. But says one
II can not get it to grow on my land
So said North Carolina farmer to me
ha rs
gave up the clover in disgust. But al
my suggestion he concluded to make
one more trial and add to his soil the
matters in which it was deficient, ano
which prevented success. He gave
the crop a dressing of acid phosphate
and kainit, and the result was a fine
crop of clover So we say to every
man in the south who has cotton now
growing, try to get the surface of thai
field covered with clover nex'
winter, and get ready to farm
The acid phosphate and potasl
are the cheaper forms o
plant food, and you need not buy any
thing else A dressing of 900 pounds
per acre between the cotton rows, of I
mixture of acid phosphate and kaini
in equal parts will not be withon
benefit to the cotton even, and it vii
Insure a good stand of the crimson
clover if the seed is sown at the las
working in August while the groun'
Is fresh and before there has been rail-
TO crust the ground. If you fail to ge
stand of clover there will then b.
time enough TO sow rye among thu
stalks late in, the fall. But in an.
event get some green growth OF
the land before winter. With
crop of crimson clover on tn
land you may not get 1t tall enough
in an old worn cotton field to CT
this first time, but you can pillow
under, if done early in the spring, an
can then sow field peas to be cut TO
hay, and with the previous treatment
should get big crop. As soon as tn
meas are off prepare the land again TO