The progressive farmer and the cotton plant., 1905-03-14

and soil bacteria. For 1T should De DorHe IL
mind that each cubic inch of the soil contains mil
lions and millions of bacteria, all there at work a
soil making and helping the plant to grow. ooli
that are not very productive of course do not nave
very active colonies of bacteria, consequently the
soil is helped but slowly and the plant IN but
meagre way. Make the soil comfortable to the
bacteria and the roots of the plant by thorough
tillage and by humus, and results will show the
worth of the method in not only the first crop, but
each succeeding one.
Then, too, in soil improvement, commercial
fertilizers may be economically used. We have
gone somewhat wild over commercial fertilizers.
They are all right and a good thing, but they
certainly have been carried to excess. We
have neglected tiage, and organic matter, and
stable manure, and have patrOnized the chemical
doctor long, that begin TO see the folly of
the course Chemicals are simply part of per-
manent soil improvement. They are no longer
the panacea for all soil troubles. They are good
physic for soil Indigestion but if constantly used
the trouble becomes chronic. Depend upon til
lage, humus, and livestock, and then use chelni-
Gals a supplement to this practice and your
land will improve and prosperity will follow. Grow
lcgumes and add nitrogen to the soil. Expert
ment and ascertain if your lands are deficient in
phosphorus and potassium and if so add them to
the soil. Remember that with thorough tillage,
and livestock and humus, pOtas sium and phos
phOrus will be released from the soil store house,
and will be made available Also the sub-soil will
yield up to cowpea and clover roots its potassium
and phosphorus and bring them to great heights,
so that corn and cotton plants may feed them
"
Moreover we must practice crop rotation. As
own lives show that variety yields the best
help, comfort, and enjoyment. so variety will
bring to the soil the same. I surmise that the
soil gets pretty tired of growing cotton wear after
year year after year through those hot
summer months. I should think that the soil
would like variety in crop production. corn one
year, cotton another and cowpeas a third, or some
other system that involves a change of crops
And then a winter crop as we'll There is con-
slant waste of soil fertility by the washing and
teaching during the winter months This waste
would be prevented were crops grown during the
winter. And not only is this protecting and saw
ing the soil fertility, but it is utilizing the poten-
tial equipment of the farm so that greater capac-
lty may be realized. What if the cotton mill used
its machines simply during the summer months?
1helr SA months OF ldle lie would almost ruin
them, and besides the capital invested means
double the amount to produce a given quantity
when machines are used but for time Now is
not the soil a parallel case in every sense. The
loss in value of the soil by teaching and washing
is a good deal worse than the rust that would
come to the machine in the cotton mill Then
think of the increased production that would fol-
low by the constant use of the farmers manufac-
turing plant if he were to follow his corn with
wheat or clover or rye some other winter crop
The cotton crop, should likewise have something