The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-01-01
COLEMAN REMEDY CO., Danrlls. Va, U. S. A
Cultivation of Cotton.

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Cotton is semi tropical plant and
should not be planted unit the soil be-
comes sufficiently warm; the time for
planting varies. In southern Texas
planting usually commences about the
first of March; in the extreme northern
belt about the 10th of May: line drawn
from Old Point Comfort, Va, to Cairo,
H., may be regarded as the northern
limit for cotton.
The land should be we'll prepared, then
lay off into drills about four feet apart,
preferably north and south, or better sill.
in line with the sun at two O'Clock. 1t
has been found that cotton in such rows
is less subject to rust than in rows run
ming east and west 1t will be we'll to
run a coulter, or ether suitable pillow,
several times in the bottoms of the drills,
thus forming loose beds eight to twelve
inches deep and about a foot broad; care
should be taken not to expose the sub
soil to the sun, especially if the blowing
be done late in the season near plant
ing time. Said loose beds will exert an
immense. influence in resisting the eff
fects of sdrouth. A fertilizer containing
the following ingredients may be used:
Nitrogen 3 per cent: Available Phosphoric
aAcii, 9pEl cert.ssnd Petasll 8 per. cent,
Apply on the Loose beds a. the rate OF SOC
to 600 pounds per acre and thoroughly
mix with the soil to the depth of a few
inches by, shallow blowing, preferably q
few weeks before seeding. Then con-
struct low ridges on the drills, open and
plant cotton seed in the usual way. Fer
tilizer applied as above is much more
economical than broadcasting, only about
half the quantity being required With
proper preparation, the loose beds will
furnish on amplei supply of plant food.
In lieu of the above fertilizer the fol-
lowing materials may be mixed and
used:
For Nitrogen Use: Nitrate of Soda $50
pounds, or Sulplate of Ammonia 270
pounds, or Dried Blood, $40 pounds.
For Phosphoriq Acid: Acid Phosphate,
1880 pounds. or Dissolved Bone. 1860
pounds, or Dissolved Bone Meal 1925
pounds.
For Potash use: Nitrate of Potash ITO
pounds. or Sulphate of Potash 10 pounds
or Kainit 440 pounds.
Kanit is preferable to either Muriate
or Sulphate of Potash. being almost a
complete remedy against rust. The above
quantities Of Nitrate of Soda, Acid Phos
plate and Kainit will make a ton Of 1000
pounds. but any other desired quantity
can be prepared, using the same proper
ticns.
Distance Single stalks may be left in
the drills from IL to 244inchcs apart, ac-
cording to the fertility of the SOIL rich
soils require greater distance than
poor or medium soils. If the distance be
;nc -1-ill aft
cellent facilities for the cotton to open,
hut it will on most lands be attended
with loss On very rich land the rows
should be wider apart than 4 feet and the
distance in the drills more than "a inches
To be short. the greatest distance that
will not result in loss, should be given
thus affording proper facilities for the
cotton to open. Distance is especially
needed for wet seasons otherwise the ex-
cessive weed that will be produced win
prove detrimental to opening. Cotton is
frequently left too thick by half. thus
causing a large portion of the crop to be
caught and ruined by frost.
Humus -Humus is imperatively needed
as a basis for the profitable employment
of all commercial fertilizers Therefore,
an additional dose of from two to three
tons of stable manure per acre can be
adyantageously used on the drills before
the ridges are constructed. In order to
correct the excess of Nitrogen in the
stable manure so pounds of Acid Phos-
phate and 100 pounds OF Kainit should
be added to each ton of manure used.
soon after the maturity and removal
of the cotton say about the first of No
vember. the cotton stalks should be bro
ken into short pieces (this can be done
bv ma chinery) and turned down, thus ma
terially contributing to the supply Of
humuS.
TO maintain fair price for cotton
In 1870 cotton sold at 16 cents pound
BY 1850 the crop of 1910 was doubled, but
the price Of cotton. in the meantime fell
TO cents. Consequently the full crop
Of 1850 yielded only the same amount of
money that the half crop of 1910 had
done. This fact furnished an overwhelm-
ing argument in favor of reducing the
quantity of cotton grown. The United
States produce about IS per cent of the
cotton of the world and can easily con-
troll the price Of cotton if the people were
properly organized. We here see the ne
cessity for centralized government with
power conferred on Congress to pass uni
form laws for all the States. If the acre
age of cotton were thus reduced to about
four acres. or other proper quantity, for
each horse or mule it would largely pro-
mote the best interests of the people en-
gagged in the cultivation of same
BRYAN TYSON.
Carthage n. c.