Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-11-27
FOUR BALES TO THE ACRE.
Mr.. E. d. Thompson Breaks the Rec
ord of South Carolina.
Editor Yorkville Enquirer:

Editor Yorkville Enquirer:
Having finished the gat, ering Of the
crop off of my pet acre Of cotton, I
will now, in compliance with your re-
quest made to me some weeks ago,
endeavor to give you a history Of the
experiment.
To begin with, the plot of land was
stepped off by one of my neighbors as
follows: First line, SO yards; second
line, 65 yards; third line, 90 yards; and
fourth line, 65 yards, enclosing a total
of 1910 square yards of dark gray land
with yellow subsoil.
Now, to 60 back little. Two years
ago lin 1885, this plot was fertilized with
500 pounds of soluble guano and planted
in corn. The yield was between 40 and
so bushels. Last year Q896 1t was fertil-
lied with 16 two horse loads of lot scrap
ing, scattered broadcast, and 900 pounds
of soluble guano, Charlotte acid and Ger
man kainit placed In drill. After this, it
was planted with King cotton, and the
yield was 848 pounds Of lint.
About the middle Of March, Of the
consisting of so 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 low, fiat heap until the
18th of April, when, after having turned
out the old stalks and smoothly harrow
ed my acre, I spread over 1t the contents Of
the compost heap, as evenly as possible,
and then turned 1t under to depth Of
from six to eight inches, after which I
again used the harrow to level and pull
verize the land.
With the manure in and the land thor
oughly pulverized, I next took terrace
level, ran line directly through the CEN
tre of the plot, and from this line, each
way, laid off the rows Al feet apart from
centre to centre. Then, in the furrows,
drilled 700 pounds of equal parts of solu-
BILE guano, Charlotte acid and kainit, and
after that, with 6-inch steel shovel, I
r .spared the land in low fiat beds for
planting.
The seeds used were what might very
properly be called Further Improved
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 10Th of May, I side-harrowed
the acre, and two days afterward went
over it again, and, by band, pulled it
up to one stalk to every 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 moth
ing left but healthy, vigorous stalks.
On the 9th Of May side-harrowed
| l8 inches in the drill. Next, on the 10th
of June, I sided with short straight
shovel and l2.inch bow, and on the 22d
sided again with larger shovel and l6.inch
bow. Then, ON the 18th Of July, I hoed
and run three burrows with shovel and
IS-inch heel scrape. Last, on the 28th Of
July, I went through the middles as
deeply as could with bull tongue, or
scooter, and then, on the same day, "laid-
by" by leveling off with shovel and heel
scrape.
The work of picking. ginning and pack
ing has Just been completed, with total
Weld of four bales, weighing respectively
43O, AL, 453 and 1893 pounds, in all 1,72
pounds of lint on the acre.
Now, Mr.. Editor, know that this is q
phenomenal yield of cotton to be gather
ed from one acre, and many Of your read
ers will doubt this report. I 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 say that what have done is moth.
ing more than they can do If they will
use the means. Let them select the right
kind of seed, fertilize their land we'll,
work it properly, and my word for 1t
they will be gratified at the result.
AS for myself, I have been using the
King variety for sometime past. l am
not prepared to say that the King is supe-
rior to all other varieties for all kinds Of
soil; but in this climate, on highly fertil-
lied lands, think the King beats any
other variety.
While my success this year has been in
q large measure due to the seed-prob-
ably I owe more to the seed than any
thing else: still I think that the deep
furrOw at the last working had much to
do with the yield. My opinion here Is
based on past experience. I have sew
eral times before gathered two bales from
one acre. and each time there was 9 con-
siderable quantity of fruit which failed to
mature. Some Of it rotted and some of
it dried up. Anyhow, it did not open.
began to think it was impossible to cul-
tivate or fertilize so as to get more than
that after certain point, the stalks would
become so large and the foliage 80 dense
as to necessarily cause the moulding and
rotting of the lower bolls.
But in the King variety this trouble is.
in large measure, overcome. OWING 10
the natural habits Of the plant, dwarf
growth and early maturity, the stalk does
not grow as large under same conditions.
1t puts on more fruit to the size than any
other variety of which have any knowl-
edge, and while the foliage is all suffi-
cient to give the stalk a healthy growth,
vet this foliage is not so dense, even un-
der the stimulus of high cultivation, and
this year I noticed but very little trouble
on account of the rotting OF the early
nolls.
This year the cotton on the acre referred
to above bloomed at least two weeks ear
lier than ordinary varieties. 1t has
been earlier every year. 1t has also
matured earlier. Heretofore l have
neglected the deep furrow already de-
scribed. The effect of that furrow has
certainly been most noticeable. The cot
ton kept on maturing almost as late as
other varieties, and think the deep fur
row was largely the cause of it. The fur
row deepens the feeding roots and gives
greater vitality. .s'
Then another thing. Although 1 have
referred to this cotton as dwarf variety,
I wish to be understood only that it has
dwarf tendencies and characteristics un-
der ordinary circumstances. During the
present fall have picked white cotton
foot above my head, o! 81 feet from the
ground.
In conclusion, let me say also that J.
have written this account only because
you asked me for it, and that my object is
the same as yours, to disseminate infor,,
L hnF