St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-08-22
FARMER AND PLANTER.
THE COTTON FIELD.

staple money crop, which. II properly
used, Il the least exhaustive crop on
soil that can be grown. And yet, nm.
der the system that has been pursued
in the south IL = we'll known that the
soil has become depleted. BUTT II not
the growing of the cotton that has ex.
hausted It. OF the cotton hbhe not
over two per cent. comes from the soil
al the remainder being the result OF
the assimilation Of carbon from the az
under the influence Of the sunshine.
The matters that are drawn from the
coil are mainly In the stems. leaves
and seed. Even the oil that II In the
seeds IL the result Of tho same assimi-
lation Of carbon from the cir. 1t
should be plain then that II the plant
and the meal and hulls 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
tho system that has boon pursued in
the culture Of the plant Year after
year the land 10 kept exposed to tho
sun in the clean culture demanded BY
the crop. and al 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 tho cot
ton lands than any growing OF
the crop itself. How to avoid
these untoward influences should
b . matter Of interest to every
thinking farmers In tho south. 1t has
long been Q notion in tho south that
the cotton crop will not adapt itself to
any farm rotation - II practiced by
all improving farmers In other SEQ
tions. This IL an error. The cotton
crop can DO ~ we'll cultivated In . ro-
tation that will constantly tend to
build up tho soil - any other money
crop that IL grown in this country.
But the rotation that would be best
with the crops grown nOrthward 10 not
of necessity the best for tho cotton
farmer. Every cultivator should study
his special money crop. and adapt oil
his farming to tho purpose of incress.
ing the capacity of his coil
for the production OF that
crop In tho most economical manner.
Big crops can doubtless DO made By
pilin9 ON fertilisers with . lavish
hand, but whether such . course y
economical 10 very questionable.
Growing crops merely by the aid OF
complete fertilizers i planting. but 1t
II not farming in the true sense. But
farm rotations that arc adopted to tho
crops and climatic conditions In the
northern states are seldom the best
for the cotton belt But IL 10 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 feed
them we'll and build up the
productiveuess Of his acres tor
the staple crop for, no matter what
may Be said BY pessimists. cotton 70
and must b, over the greater part OF
tho south. the main money crop. and
We must learn to grow it under. tho
changed conditions that leave no
profit to the old style planter. Now.
while the crop II growing. 10 tho time
to plan better practices for the future.
and we would say In all eernestness,
prepare now to have some soil cover
growing ON your cotton field next win.
ter to keep the plant food from Ill being
washed out, and 70 add humus and
nitrogen to the sou. The best plant
for this purpose 10 doubtless the an
nual crimson clover. But says one:
IL can not get IL to grow on my land. "
So said North Carolina farmer to mo
several years ago. and he said that he
gave up the clover in disgust. But at
nv suggestion he concluded to make
one moro trial and add to his soil tho
matters in which It was deficient, and
which prevented success. He gave
the crop . dressing Of asid phosphate
and kainit, and tho result was hne
crop of clover. So we say to every
man in tho south who has cotton now
growing, try to get the surface Of that
field covered with clover next
winter, and get ready to farm.
The acid phosphate and potash
are the cheaper forms Of
plant food, and you need not buy any
thing else. A dressing Of 200 pounds
per acre between the cotton rows, OF .
mixture Of acid phosphate and kainit
in equal parts will not be without
benefit to the cotton even. and 1t Will
insure . good stand of the crimson
clover II the seed II sown 1t the last
working in August while tho ground
Is fresh and before there has been rain
70 crust the ground. II you fall oget
! stand OF clover there will then be
time enough to SOW rye among the
stalks late In the fall But In any
event get some green growth on
the land before winter. with .
crop OF crimson clover on the
land you may not get It tall enough
in an old worn cotton field to cut
this hrst time, but you can pillow It
under, II done early in the spring. and
can then sow neld peas to DO cut for
hay, and with the previous treatment.
should got . big crop. Al soon ~ the
peas arc on prepare the land again for
tho clover. by going over with the cut
away harrow, SOW the seed and roll.
Put on this crop . good dressing Of
tho acid phosphate and kainit mix
Sure, and now the clover for hay -
soon a in bloom In April, and 1t once
turn the land for cotton, without any
for You esa make . better
crop from the fertiliser put on the
clover than you could from . high
priced fertilizer applied to the cotton
without the clover. Now, In this cot
ton, SOW the clover again in August
and repeat the rotation, adding
mot LEES than 500 pounds Of
the potash and phosphate mig
ture whenever the land comes In
clover. This . gives rotation Of but two
years. with two forage crops and one
hoed sale crop. and n . perfectly feast
BILE one for the man who wants to get
MP his land for cotton growing rapidly
and does not care to make another
hoed crop like corn, or who has low
lands on which he can grow what
corn he wants without Interfering
with his upland cotton sofia II 10 too
directly in the line Of what we have
been insisting for years. that the true
way to ineroaeo our sale crop 10 to feed
liberally with potash and acid phoor