The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-02-09

the Importance Of using stable man.
ure and ploughing under green crops.
In applying the foregoing instruct
ions the farmer must use consider
able judgment and modify his practice
when necessary to fit local conditions.
How To Apply the Fertilizer After
the Soil Has Been Thoroughly Pull
vcrized.
In the absence of a good machine
apply the fertilizer as follows:
Mark out the rows or bed up,
spacing as before stated. and distrib-
ute the fertilizer in rows. Follow
after with shallow bull-tongue, or
scooter, to thoroughly mix the ferti-
lizer with the soil. The fertilizer
should be distributed several days be-
fore planting. as there is danger of
injuring the seed If brought in i'm
mediate contact with strong ferti-
lizer. A very careful mixing of the
fertilizer with the soil is necessary
for the same reason. On most soils
the judiciOus use of commercial ferti-
lizers Is advisable. On black waxy
land and some other soils stable man
ure and humus seem to give the
best results.
Where lime is used, scatter it
broadcast when the land is broken
using about barrels of air-slaked
lime per acre, or apply in the row
about barrels per acre short
time before planting, mixing it thoro-
ughly with the soil.
Use a section harrow thoroughly
before and after planting.
Begin cultivation as soon as the
cotton Is up. A section harrow or
weeder will do splendid work to
loosen the surface soil at this time.
In using it drive at right angles to
the row.
Let the first cultivation after the
harrow be deep, the later civilizations
shallow.
Cultivation every seven or ten days,
weather and soil conditions permit
ting, will be best. This allows on an
average nine cultivations. All our
instructions are based upon the
theory that the intelligent farmer has
not allowed his crop to become
90 Ioh
owing to continuous rains, the cotton
should be cleared Of grass and weeds
as soon as possible and then the shall
law cultivation continued as before.
For shallow cultivation, when the
corn is not too tall, the weeder stands
first, but narrowing sween does
good work IL the dirt Is allowed to
fall loosely over 1t.
Room for the Roots.
If soil has been prepared as we
direct. 1t generally contains sufficient
moisture for cotton. The safe advice
is to cultivate shallow and let the
roots have all the space possible for
feeding. The unsafe advice is to
break shallow and to cultivate
deep. In regions Of light rainfall
or Of semi-aird condition a deeper
mulch may be found advisable.
1t Is usually best to chop cotton
twice, having it thicker at first than
necessary and afterwards thinning
to the proper stand for the soil. The
distance between plants in the rows
however, must be determined by the
usual growth Of plant on such soil
1t is our opinion, based on extensive
tests. that cotton should be planted
In hills properly spaced. so as to
avoid most Of the chopping out. A
good seed bed and excellent seed are
required.
Bedding up land is precaution
against a heavy rainfall after plant
ing. In sections where there is no
danger from excessive moisture. fiat
planting Is preferred, and in some
cases 1t may be necessary to plant a
few inches below the surface. Seeds
must have moisture, but they must
be kept out of standing water in