The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1905-03-08

The following article by Colonel T. J.
Redding, Director of the Georgia Agricul-
tural Experiment Station, is reproduced
from the Atlanta Constitution OF Monday,
February 18th, 1905. 1t is Of much interest
to the farmers, and their careful attention
lie directed to It:
The work Of the recent cotton growers
convention at New Orleans deserves in its
main features, the hearty approval and
Endorsement of the farmers all over the
south. The action Of the committee since
the adjournment in formulating a constitu-
ton and bylaws as q basis and bond OF
union for the continued existence of the or
gani2ation is also worthy of all praise for
Its cOmprehensiveness and adaptation to the
objects sought to be promoted. 1t 10 an
able document and should be the means Of
consolidating and unifytng the interests Of
the cotton growers and manufacturers in
the future. Whether it's effective infiu-
ence shall outlive the present emergency
and promote the cotton growers best in
terests In the future will depend largely
upon the good Judgment and sound discre-
ton Of those in active control Of the crgani-
cation, backed by the loyal and voluntary
support Of the great mass Of the farmers
themselves.
But many of the most intelligent and up
to-date farmers, supported by those who are
themselves only sincere friends Of the farm
ers, are unable to see the wisdom Of the ad-
vice to reduce the amount Of fertilizers to
be used by the growers of cotton.
1t is all well and good" to cut down the
acreage in order to curtail the size of the
coming crop. 1t would have been better
to have cut the area to one-hah the acre
age OF last year. 1t would have been stil1
better to have advised and argued upon a
horizontal cut to 10 acres to the plow, as
Stunning that such a reduction would
amount to about half, taking the
tire cotton area into account The effect
of such q reduction would practically have
resulted in such large decrease In the ag-
gregate cotton output that even a very
much larger increase in the per acre appli-
cation of fertilizers than is at all probable
would not suffice to produce more than a
10000 600 bale crop, under mosts favorable
conditions.
For what does farmer use commercial
fertilizers If not for the purpose of increas-
Ing the yield per acre and at the same time,
as an inSeparable incident. to lessen the
cost per pound OF producing cotton? If
the fertilizer does not enable the farmer
to produce a bale Of cotton az a less cost
than 1t could be produced without the fer
tilizer, then what good office does the fer
tiliZer perform? If a farmer who has been
growing cotton without the aid of ferti
izers at a cost of cents per pound of lint
what is the use of applying fertilizers ii
such use does not lower the cost to cents
or to cents, per pound of lint7
Suppose a given farmer has usually plant
ed 100 acres in cotton and that the aver
age yield without fertilizer has been about
forty bales. which is about the general av-
erage. VIII any one claim that such n
yield has cost less than cents per pound
Of Init VIII 1t cost him any less by sim
ply reducing the area to rs acres, and con-
tinuing to abstain from fertilizer, or apply
only insignificant amount per acre? Not
much. If any. and if any less. ii will be be
cause he will be able to throw out 25 acres
Of the most reproductive land.
But instead OF reducing the area 10 only
70 acres. suppose he shall cut IL down to 80
acres and apply 200 pounds per acre Of
we'll balanced, home-mixed fertilizer VIII
be not thus increase the yield Der acre by