Natchitoches populist., 1898-04-08
A PAYING COTTON CROP.
hest Method of Growing the Staple to
Make q Profit,

\, !. duclng the acreage in this crop. Atpres
o ent prices for the staple there is n
,. profit in cotton growing for the aver
,,e age farmer who follows the old plan O
Il growing cotton after cotton on lsn(
c that has long since parted with all it
Il vegetable matter, and who cultivate
l. three acres or more to get a bale
There should Of course be reduction
I OF the acreage in cotton, and an in
I crease Of the acreage in the crops used
lor forage and the improvement of the
land. There should be more intelli.
. gent farming and less of mere plant.
ing IN the old ruts. We have often
shown that man by systematic use
OF the cheaper forms Of fertilizers on
peas can accumulate vegetable matter
IN his soil that will enable
him to use the commercial fertiiz.
ers to greater profit on his crops.
A soil full Of decayed vegetable
matter will give better results from
the use of commercial fert-
lllzers than one in which there is no
such deposit. 1t will withstand the
effects of drought better, is warmer
and earlier in the spring, and its me-
chanlcal texture is such that tits easier
to work. What we need now to do is
not so much to reduce the general
crop Of cotton in the South as to grow
the crop on fewer acres and at less ex.
pense. If cotton will bring but five
cents per lb. then if we are to grow it
at a profit we must produce it at less
cost than five cents. We have seen it
grown at an actual cost of three and
half cents when all the labor was
paid for in cash, and an accurate ac-
count kept. But the crop was long
way over nalf bale per acre. With |
but half bale per acre or less the cost
OF growing cotton will exceed its pres.
ent price. And this is now just the
condition of the majority of the cot
ton growers in the Southern uplands,
Reduce your acreage, but make the ef
forts to get just as much cotton on the
reduced acreage. The way to do is not
to take al old cotton field and give an
extra dose fertilizer, but start at once
In the work of building up the land
and stocking it with vegetable matter
TILL you can give all the fertilizer that
can proftably be used. You have an
old piece Of land that has been in cot
ton for generations. You have grown
no peas, as you should have done,
and have no pea fallow for the cotton
What is next best? We would cut
the cotton area in such q case right in
two or less, and would go to work at
once to cover all the portion to be ,
with some sort of decayed
vegetation. Get to the forest and {
haul out during the winter all the de.
'ayed mould you can get and cover all
the and over broadcast. Do not
20 to the labor of composing. but
over the land all over with the refuse
rom the forest. Spread all the cotton
eco out the same way, and then
pply broadcast, too, mixture
Il Aainit and acid phosphate in
quail parts at rate of 400 pounds per 4
ere. Put it out during the winter
nd 90 not be afraid it will get away
rom you. 1t will simply get into bet.
er condition for the crop by being put 4
n the land month or two ahead of Il
lantlng. With the land covered over Y
odily with the black mold and leaves
'om the woods you will have an
mount of humus added to the soil
lat will make your fertilizers mora
tectlve, and the teaching away of the .
ut in the Kainit will render soluble
'me matters in this mold that will be
value to the crop. Then when you
me to prepare for the crop a light
'esslng OF some complete fertilizer,
only somo cotton seed meal, will
We the plants an early start, and =:
rough all the summer they will be az
ldlng new food as their roots ex.
nd. Kainit has special value in
lnglng about conditions that enable
Q plant to resist the attacks of rust Sc
d leaf blight, and although under
neral conditions we believe that the -
're concentrated potash salts, like n
murlate or the sulphate. are the
eaper with the cotton crop wa
uld use Kainit with an abund. =
ce of acid phosphate. The
ne mixture applied to crop
peas, and the peas let die on the
I'd, will give you a coat of vegetable
tier ready spread that will be bet
than that which you could haul 4
re. But for the present try the
1ling Of vegetable decay and cover
land all over, and then get the acid 4
osphate and Kainit there q month
SO ahead of the planting. Broad. 1
t manuring and the growing of peas
the means for bringing land IN to
production of 1000 pounds seed 4
ton per acre.
n all the special fertilizers for cot. \
there is too small percentage Of 4
ash for the sandy lands of the I
|thern coast plan, which need this 4
nent badly. While, therefore,
may use complete fertilizer in
fursow for his cotton, he will, il y
IS on sandy land, find that the
adcast application of Kainitfwh;cb