The Scranton chronicle. (Scranton, Miss.) 1897-19??, 1901-02-16
FARMER ANDPLANTER.
BY WAY OF EXPERIMENT.
Deepeninn the Soil shown 10 he the
rIaafer's Plan to Increase
Cotton Yield.


We greatly fear that the price OBJ
tanned for the present crop of cotton
will tempt many farmers 10 plant too
much cotton next year. But IL they
will plant a plentiful crop of every
thing else. kind Providence" may
again interfere and prevent our max
ing too much cotton. But be this as
may, IL is TO the interest of southern
farmers to decrease the cost by in
creasing the yield per acre. We shall
not argue this question, however, IN
this place. but simply give the result
of an experiment we made many years
ago from which we learned some yala-
able lessons.
We selected five acrse on the high
est hilltop and the poorest land on
our farm. We broke this with heavy
sulky pillow followed by subsoil. We
succeeded in getting about thirteen
inches deep. This gave us about
twenty inches of loosened soil, and
went entirely through the hard pan.
After the winter rains and freezes
were past, we sowed 400 pounds COM
mercial fertilizer per acre broadcast.
This was one ton for the five acres
We narrowed this with n spring
toothed harrow, going about five
inches deep. After about ten days we
put on another ton, narrowed again
with the same harrow, going about
three inches and half deep. After
about one week we put on another
ton of the fertilizer and narrowed with
the Acme harrow about three inches
thc first time. and crossing this about
two inches deep. We then laid off the
rows five feet apart, put on another
ton fertilizer in the drills; ran a long
narrow rooter as deep as we could
and threw up n fiat bed with n half
turner. We tsien narrowed these beds
witr IA light fine-toothed harrow and
planted with homemade Texas bar
rel planter.
We stopped the holes with corn
cobs SO as to drop seed about every
20 to "a inches. We used improved
seed of our own selection which came
up bold and strong and were prop
erly thinned to two stalks in hill.
| We had intended to put on another
ton of fertilizer in the middle of the
rows, but as we could not get the
kind we wished, we failed in this. Our
intention was to use ton per acre OF
high grade commercial fertilizer, but
we had TO contend ourselves with 1,6o(
! pounds per acre. We used no compost
or stable manure or other manure oil
any kind. Our plan was to test how
much commercial fertilizer it woult
pay to use on one acre of cotton. w
had thus far expended about thirty
dollars per acre. There was nothing
now to do but to cultivate the crop
and to gather it.
The cotton grew off so rapidly thai
the cultivation cost but little. Thii
was done with broad-heel scrapers SCI
to run very shallow. The cotton soor
shaded the center surface and ths
grass gave up the fight.
NOW FOR THE RESULTS.
We never saw cotton grow so. Meas
nring sticks placed beside the stallx'
| showed a gain of two and hall
inches per day at the height of the
growing period. The taking on oi
! fruit was equally as encouraging; the
bolls were large and set thickly upon
the limbs. The yield exceeded our ex-
| Lectati0ns. We got about two bales
and half per acre, and as cotton was
then selling at nine cents, the profit
was very satisfactory. 1T was not on.
| ~ the largest yield but the cheapest
| cotton we ever raised. At an expense
| OF about two hundred and twenty
| five dollars all told. we had made
about two hundred dollars worth of
| cotton and over three hundred BUSH
els seed which were worth to us near
| ly dollar bushel; for nearly every
one who saw or heard of the cotton
wanted the seed. But the largest part
Of the profit was in the improvement
of the land. That resulted principally
from the work that had been done.
While il is true that the crop of cot
ton did not appropriate all the fertil-
izer that had been used and the next
crop was somewhat benefited by what
vas left, that piece Of land continued
to make large yields of eyry kind Of
crop, for many years. The lessons we
desire 10 draw from this experiment
are, that thorough culture and high
manuring, will pay, and do pay. That
sAall areas and large yields are more
profitable than large areas and small
| yields.
1t pays to make experiments. That
crop was mainly due to the deep plow-
ing. 1t would not have paid TO use
that much fertilizer ON land plowed
three or four inches deep. The deep
er the soil the more fertilizer can be
used profitably. If the states east oi
the Mississippi wish to compete with
Texas in raising cotton they must
deepen their soil.-Southern Cultiya.
tor.
/ nnHD Hn