The progress., 1904-04-02
ARM El


So fAf nothing has bsen discovered
that will destroy ths boil weevil: but
much can be done to prsyent it, raw
Ages. Grazing cattle on the old cot.
ton neld In the fall; burning dead
stalks and trash; deep plowing in the
fall, and wide planting, AL have = ten
dency to hold the pest In check. But
more than all other prexentatives so
far suggested, an early variety Of cot
ton, which natures before the boil
weevils can get in their work, seems
to be the most effective
Up to the present tine comparative
" little fertilizer has been used on
the cotton crop in Texas. Most Of the
land is naturally strnng: 1t has been
yielding satisfactory crops, and the
application of commercial fertilizer
has not seemed necessary. The farm
er who has never used any commercial
fertilizer on his cotton has no idea
Of the wonderful effect 1t. has in pro-
noting early maturity. even . natural
ly-late variety. The farmers In many
sections of north Georgia would be
unable to grow the crop at all without
the aid or these fertilizers, as their
seasons would be too short. In fact,
the Introduction of commercial fer
tilizer has enlarged the area where
cotton can be profitably grown, as It
enables 1t to make in shorter sea-
son.
The early or late maturiay of cot
ton Is regulated as much, II not more,
by the character Of the land upon
whicn 1t Is grown, as by the variety
planted. This fact was very strongly
brought out the past season, Where
the land was very rich and the cotton
made heavy growth of weed, 1t con-
tinued to grow late, and the bolls were
very slow in opening, while where the
land was thin the cotton matured
much more rapidly. The reason for
this is that the rich land contained too
much ammonia In proportion to the
otner elements of plant food. Am
monia produces stalk and leaf, while
phosphoric acid produces fruit and
hastens early maturity, and potash
gives strength to the plant and in
creases the amount of lint. Bear
these facts in mind when preparing Z
fertilizer for rich land, and use very
little ammonia, or cut 1t out altogeth-
er. 1t is well, however, to use a little
ammonia to give the plants quick
start; and II l was planting rich land
in cotton l would use fertilizer an
alyzing 10 per cent. phosphoric acid,
2 per cent ammounia, and 4 per cent.
potash. Such a fertilizer would bal
ance the plant food already in the
soil, and force the plent to produce
fruit, instead of running to weed.
II you can not purchase q fertilizer
similar to the above from your dealer,
you can prepare it yourself by COM
bining 40 pounds nitrate of soda, 400
pounds cotton seed meal, 1,400 pounds
IA per cent. acid phosphate and 160
pounds muriate potash to make ton.
Place these materials together on a
light floor, and shovel over until the
whole mass Is of an even color
throughout; being careful to crush all
Jumps as they roll down around the
,dges of the pile. Use about 400 pounds
% the acre. To make early cotton,
md lots of it, the fertilizer must con-
ain large percentage of phosphoric
lcid and potash, for these are the two
elements that produce fruit and lint,
Ind bring the plant to early maturity.
rhe per cent. Of ammonia is to give
he plants quick start, that is all, for
he soil in all probability contains
enough ammonia to carry the crop and
give the necessary growth of leaf. In
Iced, In some instances it may contain
90 much.i in which case large amount
# phosphoric acid and potash is need
ID to neutralize its effect and make
he plant go to fruit instead of stalk
. J. Merriam, in Texas Farm and
ianch.