The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1905-12-30
FARMER ANDPLANTER.
RAISING COTTON.
How to Fertfllse 1t Most Eco
nomically aid Produce the
-Dest Results.

,G apply them that we are certain be-
(orehand of cordial welcome from our
readers whenever we choose to write
on this extremely interesting topic,
even if we do have to "trample on
someone's toes upset some OF their
pet theories and speak in words OF con-
demnation of some popular but IRA
iional practices). One question we are
often called ON to answer is. What
kind of 'guano' do you use in order to
make three bales per acre." To wnicn
We have to answer that We don't use
sguano" (so-called) at all. when we
can help it; preferring to use the chem
ieals, as acid phosphates, nitrate OF
soda, cotton seed meal, and muriate
aud sulphate of potash. We never use
kainit except where cotton is inclined
to rust; though lowest in price OF any
of the potash salts, it is really the
most expensive to all who live In the
iBterior, on account of freight rates
being just as high on it as on the more
concentrated muriate and sulphat. II
dtes not pay us, neither will 1t pay
Anyone else, to pay freight long dis
tances on low-grade material of any
kind; kainit is no exception in this re-
spect. While on the subject of potash,
we would state for the good OF all con-
ceined that, though the muriate seems
to be the most popular, the most gen.
orally used, most often recommended
and is claimed to be the cheapest, the
sulphate has proven itself to be the
best everywhere we have tried and used
it, and we have used it freely on eacn
and every crop we plant.
We try to apply our phosphate and
potash in the late fall or early winter;
tut, when, from any course, beyond our
control, we can not apply them then,
we then apply them as early in spring
as practicable, never postponing the
apph cation until planting time. There
are various reasons for this practice,
each of which we believe to be good.
For lack of space, we will give but
one at this time, that is, that the FALL
is THE RIGHT TIME to apply both
phosphate and potash, and for the SIM
pie reason that they act better and
give batter results applied then than
at any other time.
We ate well aware of the fact that
this practice, if universally followed,
would r>volutionize the present p-ac-
tice in both application and time OF
purchasing same, but the fact OF the
matter IS that the farmer using these
sub. fences ought really TO keep them
on hand-ready for immediate use
al! he time; he would not then (as
he often does now be forced to haul
sthem when the roads are oftentimes
practically impossible. There Is really
no such thing as a fertilizer season lie
a season in which fertilizer should be
bought and sold inpreference to any
| other season of the year,. The time tc
! purchase is as soon as yoG have your
mind made up as to the kind and guam
tity required.
Where cotton is to be planted on q
pea stubble, as it will be by every
systematic farmer, and should be by
all. there will be but little need fol
such heterogeneous fertilizers as stable
manure, nitrate of soda, OF cotton seet
meal, neither will the so-callef
"guano' or complete" fertilizer be re
quired to he extent it is now; but ever
when plSr,ted on pea stubble, TIT
starter recommended by Col. Rec
ding may be advantageously used II
every cotton patch in the country, ant
this regardless of richness or povert!
of soil; to-wit: Apply small quantity
of soluble, or quickly available fertile
err. directly in the furrow with tn
planting seed
| A mixture of ten pounds Of nitrate o
soda, 80 pounds of acid phosphate, ant
co pounds Cor more) of any fine, or.
material. such as rotten manure, plas
ter, of ashes, answer well for tni
purpose for one acre. Or an applica
ton of 100 to 200 pounds of nitrate o
soda may b, (and should be, where
pea stubble is not available) applies
TO the growing cotton as soon as u
to a stand
| COlLOn SDOutu iOiiOW COWpCoo, oAA'
The cowpeas should have been ferti
lized with 300 to 600 pounds of bon
Of potash fertilizer Analysing abou
so.4 On poor, sandy land, or sand
;oam, this system will speedily asser
its superiority over other methods b
the immediate Improvement of textur
and physical character of the SOIL max
ing it work looser and mellower an
efectually preventing all tendency I
"bake," it speedily brings it to life
making a strictly live soil out OF on
that was heretofore comparative
dead; it so improves its moisturs
absorbing and moistupe-retainin
capacity as to render it prae
tically drought-proof; aid by its Il
crease in its ability to absorb moistur
and to retain 1t in time IF drought
paves the way for a practice Of the II
ta.lsive system, which later woul'
without plenty of vegetable matter
the soil, have been an impossibility.
This same vegetable matter tends
make cold-natured and wet soil, bot
warmer and dryer, soil that is to
dry and too hot, both moister an
cooler, and renders sterile and unprt
ductive soil vastly more producti,