The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-07-21
Increase Cotton Production.

The only sure WAY 10 increase tiie
size of the cotton crop in l!"i IS 10
increase the yield per acre; ana we
can do this by better preparation OF
this land ard an increased use oi ler-
tilizer. You can begin this prepare
ton now. Start your plows whenever
the land is dry enough to work; ana
il does moi have to be quite as dry now
as it does in the Sprin?. If YOU nave
q big team ana disc plow. put II 10
work breaking your land broadcast.
If YOU are limited to one horse. bed
out your land as deeply as possible and
then rebed it next spring before you
plant. This winter work will help
YOU to get your land into better shape
in the spring. 1t will also enable you
to prepare more land. and plant 1t
earlier. Every cotton grower knows
that if he can get his crop started
early he stands much better chance
to make good crop.
1t is a god plan, where lana IS
broken Ill the f; or winter with big
plow, to work it up well on the sur
face in the spring with a getaway or
disc harrow, followed with q smooth
ing harrow or drag. Then lay off your
rows the desired width and plant your
Gotten IN the furro~, covering it light
". BY planting; in the furrow the at
ter cultivation can be kept more level.
and the crop will stand drought better.
Before the seed are planted, how
ever. we must not forget about the
fertilizer. This, more than anything
else, will help to increase the yield
over what it would otherwise be. Two
hundred pounds of guano per acre is
the usual amount; but W !: want more
than the usual crop of Gotten, so must
use more fertilizer. On vel prepared
land we can appl.' 4H0 pounds to 600
pounds per acre, with the assurance
that it will pay, and pay handsomely.
We have heretofore, apparently, been
satisfied With one bale o. cotton to
every ,hree acres Of lard. At least,
that is about what we have been max
ing on ne average. Now that we want
more cotton. we cannot depend upon
the old methods to make it. l. would
not be wise to increase the acreage
much even if We could, fC' We must
grow something besides cotton. But
we can make bale 10 every two in
stead of three acres, ald if we try, a
bale per re. or even better than that.
After all. this is really easier and
much more satisfactory than increaS-
ing the acreage. We hire the fertiliz-
er to do tie work instead Ot the ne
gro, that is all.
Now, the kind If -e"t:liZer to use for
best results must deperd somewhat
on the character Of your soil. If your
land is rec clay The fertilizer sho Id
analyze .bout eight per cent. available
phoSDhoric acid two per cent. am
monia and :wo ana Lalf pc. cent.
potash. FOR medium loam soil the pct
ash should be increased, 81 o the am
monia. Il you mix your own f2rtil-
izer the following is an excellent for
mula and easy 10 remember and pre-
pare: Take 1860 pounds urteen per
cent. acid phosphate, fifty pounds cot
ton seed meal, and 500 pounds kainit
to make a ton. This fertilizer will
analyZe about seven re! cent. phoS-
phoric acid two per cent. ammonia
and three per cent. otash. This for
mula will be round we'll adapted to
loan anl INDY loam soils where
there is good clay suDsoi, and is es-
pecially recommended where cotton is
affected Ey rust, which the kainit
seems in great lessure 10 pre-; lent.
On sandy soil the potash should be
still further increased, so that the fer
tiliZer will &rialyZe ahou seven per
cent. phosrhoric ac!d, three per cent.
ammonia and four p>r cent. rotash.-
+. &erriam, il tn Southern Rural
ist.