The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-08-20
An Example of Extensive cotton cui-

An Example of Extensive Cotton Cui-
 ror severa, years Mir. w E. Sistrunk, near Tailassee, Ala, has been ensdseu in bringing to a high degree or pro- ductiyeness a cotton field of one hun dred acres few days ago he gave a barbecue to the visitors whom ne s had invited to witness the resuils oA his demonstration of how to grow cot ion on the intensive method. The writer then had the pleasure Of in- spectinx this wonderful field of cot ton ana of becoming more thorough jy informed of the conditions undef which this example of intensive farm ing is conducted. I would give the readers of The Advertiser some idea of the methods used to produce last of cotton and by which MT. Sistrunk confidently expects this year to pro- duoe 160 bales.
 The soil Is q nearly iavei or very elightiy rolling terrace or second bot tom. bnt 1t would he c1assed agricul- turaily aa table land. not having that natural fertility that we usually as sociate with bottom land. The nature drainage is good, result that the owner aacribes largely to the subsoil- ing given to a part of each row each wear. Certainly there is notable absence of the ditches and terraces that we so often find in fields that have been highly improved. I &hould say from a cursory examinations or the soil that it is for the most part q rather stiff sandy loar1. while in parts of the field the soli becomes light gray sandy loafn.
 Here is a solid field of cotton of 100 acres standing shoulder high. the limbs beginning to lap in rows five and six feet wide, and in the depres- Bfons stiIl wider. The plants are loaded with forms and if half of these Forns reach maturity the fondest ex- necfations of the enthusiastic owner will be realized in the crop of this year. The most remarkable feature Of fhfs field of cotton is it's uniformity. There are no poor spots unless we take note of those small areas where slight breaks in the stand or the be- ginnings of the dreaded cotton wilt have marred the evenness of the floor of green.
 MT. sistrunk has planted this field in cotton for six years in succession and he says that prior to that period cotton had been almost the sole crop for many, many years.
 First. as to the results that he has secured and the details as to the rnAthods pursued to attain this phe- Tomenal yearly increase in the pro- 6uctiveness of the land. Seven years ago the yield of this field was thirty halee of cotton; the next year 1t in- creased to forty-seven bales; the fol- lowing year to seventy-three. then TO ninety-eight bales Year before last doubtless as the result or the growing enthusiasu of the owner and the re- auIting heavier fertilizing of this ap- nIe of his eye, he picked 121 and last year his crop was 12S bales on 100
 Now as to how 1t was done. Tn talk which his visitors insisted on Ills making Mir. Sistrunk gave the figures relative to the fertilization or this Field the present year. when the fer- irritation Is some what more inten- aive than heretofore. His basic prin- ciple is to put back on the land as mart of the fertilizer all the cotton seed produced on that area and con- siderable more. This is supplemented with large applications of commercial fertilizers, with thorough preparation and with fanltless almost level sNallow cultivation
 stalk cutter cuts the immense stalks into short sections and every bit of vegetable matter ts left on the land. The absence of stalks from the surface is now notable and this shows that when one recognizes as does Mfr. Sf8IrunKs tnal the supreme ueeu uI Southern soils is for humus, he will find means of blowing under the larg- est stalks and yet suffer no inconven- fence thereby in cultivation.
 A furrow is laid off in the old wa ter furrow and this is deepened and enlarged by another furrow Here the green seed are placed and listed on Tn each list furrow a subsoil fur row is now run. The list Is opened and phosphate or phosphate and kainit Is applied. A scooter then mixes fer tilizer and seed with each other and with the soil Then the bed is com. pieted, without further subsoiling and in the usual manner. By the time the row is ready for the seed fifteen trips have been made on each wide row.
 The fertilizer bill for the hundred acres in 1906 was $1.2O0. or SIP per acre fin addition to the cost of the so bush els of cotton seed used on each acre Slight Variations in the kind and amount of commercial fertilizer are made in different parts of the field with view to asceFtaining which combination and amount is most pro- fitabIe The greater part of the field is fertiIized with 60 bushels. or one Ion of cotton seed. 500 pounds of acid phosphate. 200 pounds of kainit, 100 hounds guano, and goo pounds nitrate of soda, the latter applied after the plants have made some growth. mak- ing the cost approximately $25.oO per acre when cotton seed are rated at &12.00 per ton.
 Does this pay is the question which many readers will ask on noting the large and unusual outlay for ferti1i- zIng material Mir. Sistrunk answers it substantially as follows: T scarce ly regard the cotton seed as an ex- pense for most of 1t is grown on other land belonging to me and what have 10 buy at the gins can get for $12.00 a ton. The land on which I grow the extra cotton seed Is robbed of It's cot ton seed but pay back the debt to that land by an occasional crop of rowpeas. grown thickiy in the corn and on that other place I also grow most of my corn; thus enabling me to keep the 100 acre field immediately around my place continuously in cot ton. I regard the use of cotton seed as a loan to the land and the increas- ed value of the land makes 1t profit able for me to use those large amounts of seed For example. one of our best larnarD has offered me a rental of S15