The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-12-01
Four Bales From One Acre.
Nems 0nti Courier.

this correspondence to the fact that
Mr.. +. ID. Thompson, of Point Post.
Office, in Bethel Township, York
County, had already gathered three
bales of cotton from one acre of land
and expected to get one more. The
fourth bale has now been gathered.
ginned and packed, and there is little
doubt that Mr.. Thompson has raised
more cotton on On acre of ground than
was ever before produced on an acre
in South Carolina.
At the request of the Yorkwillc En-
qnirer Mr. Thompson has furnished
that paper with detailed statement
as to the methods employed, and
through the courtesy Of the editor
your correspondents is enabled to send
the Nc,rs and Courier an advance proof
of South Caro!ina's champion cot
ton raiser report:
Having finished the gathering of
the crop off my pet acre Of cotton, 1
will now, in compliance with your re-
quest made to me some weeks ago, en-
deavor to give you history Of the ex-
pertinent.
TO begin with, the plot of land was
stepped off by one of my ncighbors as
follows: First line 96 yards, second
line IS yards, third line 60 yards, and
fourth line 65 yards, enclosing total
of 1910 square yards of dark gray
land with yellow subsoil.
Now to go back little. Two years
ago Gin 1887 this plot was fertilized
with 500 pounds of soluble guano and
planted in corn. The yield was be-
tween 40 and so bushels. Last year
1886 it was fertilizcd with 16 two
horse loads of lot scrapings, scattered
broadcast, and 1000 pounds Of soluble
guano, Charlotte acid and German
kainit placed in drill. After this, it
was planted with King Cotton, and
the yield was 846 pounds Of lint.
About the middle of March, Of the
present year, l made compost heap,
consisting of 80 bushels of cotton
seed, six two-horse loads of stable
manure, 800 pounds of Charlotte acid
and 200, pounds of kainit. After a
thorough mixing these materials were
covered with rich earth and left in a
low, fat heap until the 18th of April,
when, after having turned out the old
stalks and smoothly narrowed my acre,
| spread over it the contents Of the
compost hean, MS evenly ne possible,
and then turned it under to depth of
from six to eight inches, after which
l again used the harrow to level and
pulverize the land.
With the manure in and the land
thoroughly pulverized, l next took q
terrace level, ran q line directly
through the centre Of the plot, and
from this line, each way, laid off the
rows Al feet apart from centre to CEN
tire. Then, in the burrows, I drilled
7e0 pounds Of equal parts of soluble
guano, Charlotte acid and kainit, and
after That, with q six-inch steel
shovel, l prepared the land in low, fat
beds for planting.
The seeds used were what might
very properly be called Further In
proved King. They consisted Of 100
pounds, carefully selected from the
best bolls off the best stalks that
grew on the same land the year before.
On the goth of May I side-harrowed
the acre, and two days afterward went
over it again, and, by hand, pulled it
cr &c enc stalk TO every 8 or 8 inches.
This work I did myself, in order to be
sure that it was done right, and also
that might be assured that there was
nothing left but healthy, vigorous
stalks.
On the 9th Of May / side-ha-rowed
again, and on the 1st of June thinned
to 18 inches in the drill. Next. on
the 10th Of June, sided with short,
straight shovel and 12-inch bow, and
on the ED I sided again with larger
shovel and 16,inch bow. Then, on
the 18th Of July, I hoed and run three
burrows with shovel and 18-inch heel
scrape. Last, on the 18th of July, 1
went through the middles as DIV as
| could with bull tongue, or :ce.er.
and then, on the same day, "laid by"
by levelling off with shovel and heel
scrape.
The work of picking, ginning and
packing has juss been completed, with
. total yield Of four bales, webbing
43O, Al, 453 and 898
in all ], ,722 pounds Of lint on
The acre.
Now, Mr.. Editor, | know that this
70 spuSuUMeuai ylelu OF C0CCOn to be |
gathered from one acre, and many of
your readers will doubt this report. / |
have not got anything to say to
Thomas; but to others who believe in |
The possibility of things that they
themselves have never seen, beg to I
'ay that what ] have done is nothing
more than they can do If they viii! use |
he means. Let them select the right
Kind of seed, fertilize their land we'll,
work it properly, and my word for it
hey will be gratifed at the result.
AS for myself, l have been using
he King variety. for some time past.
am not prepared to say that the
King is superior to all other varieties
or all kinds Of soil; but in this cli-
nate, or highly fertilized lands, T.
hink the King beats any other va
iety.
While my success this year has
'een ina large measure due to the
eed-.probably I owe more to the
eed than anything else; still I think
hat the deep furrow at the last work.