Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-12-06

Making a bale of cotton per acre is
not a simple question, and you are act
ing wisely in seeking information along
this line 1t can be done, however, If
one will take the time and trouble to
put the land in proper condition ana
then fertllize it intelligently.
The first thing for you to do is to
break the land deep. This you should
do as soon as possible. If you only
neighbours; do anything to get two or
three good sized animals and the larg-
est pillow you can possibly find. Break
the land up as it has never been stir
red before. Do not be alarm ed by bring
ing too much OF the subsoil to the
surface The freezes and rains of win
ter will help to pulveriZe 1t and bring
it into condition so the plants can
utilize some of the food (which has
lain dormant and locked up in it for
thousands of years. Subsoil this
land with a bull-tongue if you can do
no better. Break it UP so as to enable
the roots of the cotton plant to spread
through it and air and moisture to en-
ter, and you have taken one of the great
essential steps in securing a bale OF
cotton per acre where you have onl.
been producing a bale on three acres.
Next, gather all the litter, leaves and
other material and compost them. If
you think you can do no better than
apply two tons per acre under the drill
row. it will pay you handsomely for
your trouble. Divide your farm up so
that a part of 1t will be in cowpea!
or velvet beans next year and pillow
them under. That will help to solve
matter in the soil. On land devoted
to cotton this next spring apply at the
time of bedding 500 pounds of a high
grade fertilizer. No not use less than
per cent of nitrogen, 10 per cent of
phosphoric acid and to per cent of
potash. II your cotton tends to rust
and shed use a little more potash, say
per cent. The fertilizer and compost
may be mixed together in the drill
row before bedding for the cotton. The
fertilizer should not be put on more
than two weeks before planting. We
prefer to make only one application of
the fertilizer. and then If necessary, use
nitrate of soda as q top dressing later.
Select your seed with care; get dis
and vigorous strain. The
very best is none too good, though do
not make the mistake of buying high
priced seed under the impression that
1t is necessarily the thing to have. Sex
from the best farm in your locality may
prove more prolific. Cultivate your
land thoroughly and completely, keep
ing the weeds and grass in check. Leave
two stalks in a place. Plant the cot
ton in rows four feet apart, and leave
it at least Is to "a inches. in the drill
row. If 1t does not make a steady
uniform growth throughout the season,
nitrate of soda applied at the rate OF
rs pounds per acre will be helpful.
WHEN AND HOW TO APPLY LIME
AND PHOSPHATE.
A. c. j., Forsyth, Ga, writes: When
caustic lime and acid phosphate are ap-
piled to land at about the same time, is
it likely that the lime would render in
soluble some of the phosphate acid? Is
1t likely that tile draining would be
profitable on our uplands? Do you know
of any experiments along that line? Are
you breeding at the college farm an
early fruiting large-yield variety of cot
ton?
There is a tendency for some of the