St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-01-08
i;ARMERANDP PLANTER.
FOR COTTON RAlsERs.

FOR COTTON RAlSERS.
The Intensive" System OF Culsure ON -
Extensive Scalo-But Little Rotation
and no Decrease In Acreage" (" Necessary
In our two former articles we have
tried to formulate, introduce or inau-
gurate . system of practice that. ii fol-
lowed throughout the entire cotton
belt, would, without fail, result in: l.
A reduction of tho area devoted to cot
ton culture of just one-half. thereby
temporarily reducing the yield-en-
hancing the value OF the deecy staple
9. An increase in provision crops (cow
peas) to the extent of 10. O0O. .O0O acres.
i've said temporarily reducing the
yield, because it would be but very
short time until a larger number OF
bales would be raised on the half OF
10, ,OO0, 600 acres than are now raised on
twice the amount, or 10000. 900 acres.
8. This increase of the COW pea crop
would work no hardship upon any
single individual and would injure
neither farm. farmer. community or
country, but could not possibly fail to
mus which the peavines supply. whic!,
phys such an important, though too
often unappreciated, part in the maxi
ing of really fertile soil, and in which
from long-continued culture in clean
hoed crops, southern soils are notori-
ously deficient; they, also. when pot
ash and phosphates are supplied in
quantities sufficiently liberal to induce,
or insure, a luxuriant growth (making
not less than two tons Of dry COW pea
hay per acre). will furnish us with S25
worth of nitrogen per acre. or S25, 0oo.-
600 worth throughout the entire cotton
belt. 4. Feed Of the very best quality
would be raised on every hand in such
abundance that live stock of all kinds
would stay fat. sleek and juicy; but.
ter Of the best quality could be made
in quantity sufficient to abun-
dainty supply the necessities ofour own
local markets; while southern farmers
could not only raiss their own meat
right at home. but they would raise it
cnterely independent OF the corn crib;
Is far rs fattening was concerned,
merely sufficient corn being necessary
to ..harden the fat" and to tide the
pigs or bogs over . period Of scant pas
turage. We decidedly oppose the turn
ing out las SO often advised through the
agricultural press) Of so-called poor
land"-letting it grow up in sedge.
briars and sasafrass, persimmon and
other sprouts; standing disgrace to
the farmer himself and the country in
which he lives. Mol don't turn it out
II you have no other use for it. break
it up, put on you potash and phos-
pilates and sow down to peas, or bet
ter still, drill them in rows about Is or
"a inches apart and work them one or
more times Come out Of the notion
that lands needs rest; it doesn't
need anything Of the kind; it needs
to be kept at work growing some
one of the recuperative corps all the
time until sufficient fertility has accu-
mulated to justify one in a more ex-
haustive crop. Always bear the fact
in mind that although lucerne clover,
or COW peas are rccuperative crops and
actually enrich land, they also exhaust
land as far as its stores of phosphOric
acid and potash are concerned. and that
| these two substances must be added OF
there is no real increase in fertility.
To prevent any and all misunderstand-
ing on this point we would say that we
refer to the well-worn. rundown, semi.
exhausted lands that are so common
throughout our glorious southland
lands that have been subjected 10 the
soil-robbiDg process, j. e., taking every
ash, its nitrogen, its lime, and last, but
by no means least, its humns, organic
or decayed vegetable matter or mold
| As this latter is the basis of all fertili
ty. the key that unloclss the impris
| oned, insoluble, ineart and consequent
" unavailable soil contains the sin.
qua non of all progressive. profitable
successful and preseminently satisfac
tory farming. and in the absence o
| which even the very best of chemica
or commercial fertilizers are more thar
apt to be but dismal failures; it stand
to reason that the first step toward re
cuperation is to strain every nerve, t.
make every edge cut. to systematicall,
formulate-ou plans and energetically
determinedly and persistentiy worl
them out in practice TO increase ou
supply of this all-important and ALSO
Iutely indispensable substance, and W,
are eXotistical enough to believe tina
the plan we have outlined above is tn,
very best, easiest, cheapest, most prac
tical and universally beneficial ant
satisfactory rs well as pre-eminently
profitable OF any that has as yet beer
devised.-G. Ii. Turner. in Farm ant