The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-10-27
The Cotton Field.

l The Cotton Field.
 News -Sciritar.
 Rush the picking as fast as possible;
 keep up with the open'ng when |: can | be done: avoid the trash; keep each grade of cotton to itself until ginned. | and then see that every different grade
 is baled to itself and fully covered with
 sound bagging and strong ties. In | this way, your bighar grades are net | mixed with and sold at the prices of 1 shc lowest grade that enters the halc. | The loss to the farmer for Iot giving
 attention 10 these points Is enormous In many cases they ceuse loss to the crop and in every case heavy reduce
 tion of the profit that the farmer is | robbed of by his own negligence.
 It should not be necessary to remind farmers of the importance and value of improved seed cf choicest varieties.
 Care Is selecting serd fiom the growing | crop is so simple and the benefits so great that no farmer can excuse him.
 self for neglecting it. By tudicious
 snd careful breeding up of seed. ana
 proper attention to the improvement l of the land and the cultivation of the crop. 1t Is possible for the yield or every acre now in cotton to be in- creased from 25 to zoo per cent. and
 with a staple of higher grade. to con ] mand a better price. Why is 1t that l How many will give it attention now and make the test in next seasons crop? If but enc farmer in every |neighborhood would make the eype-i" nent. all of his Eeighbors would follow
 lis example and share with him .h: immense benefits derived therefrom The News Scimitar would like to have lreport from any tests of this kind with "details of the work and its result.
 Corn that has rot been cut and shock
 ed should be gathered as soon as 1t x dry enough to crib. Everyday 1t stands
 in the field after this 1t is subject to
 more or less loss. Water is liable to
 collect in the ears and cause rot; stalks
 t.iow down and the ears carried to the
 ground will sprout or rot. Grows.
 fowls of the air and yarmints rob the
 ears the more the longer they remain
 ir the field. And when cribbed. care
 should be taken to protect the grain
 from the depreciation of rats. The joss , from these pests Is enormous. and could
 all be saved by constructing the cribs
 so as to have them rat-proof
 1t Is not that The News Scimitar ex- pects to offer much that is new in the
 work of cotton producton. but the hoie , to refresh the memory and set to think . ing, planning and arouse to action the farmers engaged in this great industry i | in which the civilized world s s', i vitally interested. A farmer should , never be the creature of circumstances, but should make and control circum-
 stances more than any other class ol . lmen. Nor should they assume that
 everything Is going to happen just as . tEey may wish, but should plan to meet adverse conditions and surmount whht-
 lever obstacles may come in his pal' The farmer should be the last to hesi- !, tate or doubt, to yiali to despondency t CT consider the possibility of defeat. : The successful farmer is never a 8 rcutnist. He has definite methods , based on system He works by general f plans but never takes things as they , his plans. He Is wide awake, ever looking forward and flaming to meet . any emergency that may arise. He | does not believe in good luck" or 'had g luck" bu that good luck is good man. !, agemeEt and tdo luck can only como from bad management. )ie does not { assume, for instance, that no storms arc f to come during cotton picking St a. \ sen; on the contrary, he suppose they , nay appear at any time. and he makes . 1t a rule to be ready by keeping up l close with the opening cotton. In tn.s , way the crop is clean, he has the bs, t and gets the highest prices 3 Scientific Investigations show that
 rust in cotton is due primarily to the t VI eakened condition of the plant, mak- a Ing 1t an easy prey to certain fungi 7 hich cause the rust. and which d 5 strong healthy plant would resist sue
 cCssfully. Rust Is more apt to attack
 cotton on old, exhausted relds where , the plants are more or less starved. IL seldom occurs where the soil Is well supplied with humus. It also develops in poorly drained soils where there is I ar excess of moisture. conditions which render plants feeble ard unhealthy. Ma | matter as to the cause of enfeeblement, I plants have little power 10 resist at. tacks of rust or other diseases.
 While too late to ward off attacks Of rust or stop its ravages this season. ,t will be well to note the localities Tn which 1t occurs in order to prevent fu- ture attacks by remedying the defects in the soil. If 1t Is from poverty. give it extra maturing; If from a lack of humus, grow humus-producing croI < l upon it, and ii too vet. have the Ian l properly drained