The Southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1895-1909, 1907-12-21

Prof. Massey's
Weekly Letter.

mn tARMER MUST RAISE COTTON At Low
ER COST.
'He 81 N" greatest Needs Of The cotton farmer
> som" method for producing his crop n \ lower
cost \ very large part Of the cotton crop is still
mad" by men who grow nothing else, tenants
farming on shares and depending on complete fer
filters alone. and these often Of n low yrada E.,
which the materials Of value cost A great deal
more than in htgh-grade articles. These men
cannot produce the crop IT a living cost when
%" price declines. The enormous profits they
pay "a hose furnishing them supplies. who must
nav" a large profit 10 cover the risk. added to
n" ANAL crops made per acre. make The cost Of
n" tenant grown cotton double what IL should he
aad"r conditions hat good farmers should Sc
cure.
Docs Land Rr~t"-Thera are farmers xhn
@Tn% all cotton on part of their land and all corn
IN other paTta. Many OF these have thought 10
tfnprove in their cotton production by letting n.
and rest. ~ thew call Il. in alternate years. But
toea he land rest Nature abhors bare land
nd a. orc" covers Il with weeds and grass. and
he land Is az busy al work growing these as II
*"atd oe n growing a crop. sill even this is bet
s~r :aaa cotton every year: for the weeds, when
n3oS"d under. do furnish some humus-making
material, but they restore no plant food to the
anil. since all he nlunt food in them has been
Drawn !-nu1 the suil. aud only the carhonacaors
material tha; they got from the air IN added to
be Boll.
Pas Fattcn the ~oil.-If. instead Of the weeds
ea3 grass her" had been "A crop Of peas growing
IN n" land there would have been some new
1!ant food added, for the peas would hare not
only soften me same carnouacoous materials
from he air. but would have gotten nitrogen too.
aaa nitrogen costs In The average commercial
mixture - cents a pound. Tho peas would have
gotten IL FOR nothing. and would AZ the same time
aAT" made 4 forag. crop which. II fed TO live
siocE. would bring the farmer "A profit. and he
could. through he careful saving ~ the manure,
restore "a The land tho greater part Of the ma
anr'al value Of he ccop in 4 better shape than
originally In the plant.
Grow Forage and Feed It.-One II the greatest
helps then to the farmer In cheapening the cost
n htA crop ia n. production OF forage OF high
fr"djag value and Tho feeding Il 10 cattle. thus
adding the cattle 20 HIS sources OF income, and
from thrir manure spread broadcast nn his land
tncr~aatng the humus content and furnishing A
valuable plant food.
Deep breaking. shallow Cultiyation.-Mr. Strib-
t!ns eaid recently that soil plowed twelve inches
deep stll retain more moisture and plant food
1hau one plowed three inches. In this brief re-
marx here jB room for thought. On the land
nlo~"d three inches deep. ana with a hard clay
risht bcio~, the wafer that The rains deliver runs
~. and often carries the three inches with 1t. On
the teepiy broken land the water sinks down and
stays there and In brought MP 10 the roots OF the
plants through the rapilarity Of the soil IL It Is
merely kept stirred On the surface 10 keep a mulch
~ loose soft there. and IL not turned up deeply In
fho cultivation OF he crop Ia dry out In the air.
prrp breaking IL all right. but shallow cultivation
should accompany II II the moisture is To be re-
tanned Throwing a big furrow 10 corn rows let's
he sun and air In 10 dry out the soil 10 the roots
and The furrow turned up also dries out, while II
only an inch or Two had been stirred the loose
duat blanket would keep the moisture from eVap-
grating W. +. MASSEY.