Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-11-02
How One Farmer Raises
Too Bales Per Acre

There is not a farmer who grows cot
ton who would not ike TO Increase his
yields How may this be brought aboutg
One man with whom the writer is famil-
lar grew more than two bales Of cotton
per acre by preparing a good compost OF
farmyard manure, and putting II In the
drfl row at the rate OF two tons per
acre and mixing we'll with the soil. A
low bed was prepared on which TO plant
the seed. This farmer had selected his
seed with great skill and care AS a re-
suit. an examination OF the field failed
10 show the presence OF anthracnose.
though the variety used was one ordina-
rily regarded as subject to this disease.
BY growing this particular variety from a
selected strain OF seed which is compare
lively well-nigh resistant TO anthracnose.
a larger yield OF lint In proportion TO seed
was obtained by the grower. This was
an important advantage 20 begin with.
The cotton was planted in rows four feet
apart and did not suffer particle from
drouth during the severe dry weather
which prevailed over the greater part Of
the cotton country during the month OF
August On hundreds OF patches in the
vicinity OF this cotton squares were shed
and the leaves dropped by the plants, and
OF course when the leaves are gone the
power OF the plant 70 manufacture food
and mature the bolls which are left Is
greatly reduced. AS a result, the first
cotton TO open in many sections was very
light and fluffy and the staple exceed
ingly short and unsatisfactory. The diff
ference in the appearance and vigor OF
the plants Is thus to be attributed large
" TO putting the vegetable matter under
the drih row which enabled the crop TO
make a vigorous growth. and the soil TO
hold water and supply the plants with
the moisture needed during a crisis in the
history OF the crop. The plants were so
large when the drOuth came that they
thoroughly shaded the ground and thus
aided IN checking the escape Of moisture
save through the leaves OF the plants.
The lesson to be drawn from this ex-
ample which stood out so strikingly IS
that vegetable matter must first be sup
piled 20 our cotton lands. But is the large
crop which this farmer raised to be at
. triouted altogether TO the use of the com
7paratively small amount OF farmyard ma
nuref Not at all. for undoubtedly he
could have used ten tons TO even better
advantage. and In fact he contemplates
raising from three TO four bales OF cotton
per acre before he quits. In addition to
the vegetable matter supplied the SOIL
however. he used this year $50 pounds OF
a high-grads fertilizer. containing per
cent Of nitrogen, 10 per cent OF phosphoric
acid, and per cent of potash. The crop
was grown on a red clay upland soil The
farmer stated that had he been growing
his crop on land subject to rust or Of a
gray sandy character. he would have in,
creased the potash TO at least or per
cent, because IL has been shown that pot
ash Is useful in preventing the form Of
rust In cotton which produces the chief
damage to the crop. The fertilizer used
was made Up OF cotton seed meal. high
grade acid phosphate and muriate OF pot
ash Any farmer can secure these goods
ready mixed from fertilizer manufactu-
rer. or he may mix the ingredients for
himself. For instance, this farmer applied
to his soil per acre approximately %
pounds Of nitrogen. s. pounds OF phosphor-
&c acid and IS pounds OF potash.
The average farmer is using about aoc
pounds OF an s-7-2 fertilizer. containing
only pounds Of nitrogen 1s pounds OF
phosphoric acid and pounds OF potash.