Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-08-18
WHAT THE COTTON CROP
REMOVES FROM THE SOIL

. An unusual degree OF interest has been
aroused in the draft made on the plant
food supply of the soil by the various
crops. and in particular. cotton In COM
parison with corn. cotton is not as eX-
haustive 70 the soil as that crop. For
instance a bale of lint cotton win re-
move from the land only about IL
pounds Of nitrogen. 5 Of a pound OF
phosphoric acid and % pounds Of pot
ash The lint OF cotton. IN other words,
Is composed almost entirely Of carbon.
hydrogen and oxygen, elements which
plants take directly or indirectly from
the air and soil and OF which there is
an inexhaustible supply avaiiabie In ma
ture; hence the production OF lint itself
Is not exhaustive TO the land In any
sense. and there Is no necessity OF at
tempting TO supply the soil with any OF
the elements which are removed In It's
development From the figures present.
ed. Il appears that II nitrogen costs as
much as Is cents a pound. only 25-5 cents
worth OF II would be removed In a bale
OF lint cotton; about IS cents worth OF
phosphorfc acid. and lis cents worth of
potash. or about S95 cents worth of
plant food altogether. An average yield
OF bale OF lint cotton per acre would
be regarded as a very fine crop. yet 20
cents worth OF commercial plant food
been removed In the lint itself
From the above one might be led to
suppose that cotton was not an exhaus-
tive crop TO the land. and Il is not pro-
vided q rational system OF management
IN its production Is followed. but as
rule the seed Is removed from the soil.
and II contains a relatively large amount
OF plant food as VIII presently be shown
The stalks are often burned and there
ensues the destruction OF several dollars
worth OF nitrogen which can and should
be avoided were a crop rotation pursued
on the cotton farm. me advent OF the
boil weevfl would also prove much less
destructive, and were the seed ex-
changed for meal and fed to live stock
and the resulting manure returned TO the
land and the vicious practice OF burn
ing the stalks discontinued. II would be
a comparatively easy matter TO build
Up al cotton lands, increase the yield
OF lint. and maintain our soils In a high
state OF fertility through the use and
application Of a moderate amount OF
commercial plant food The possibility,
therefore. OF maintaining or materially
increasing the average yield Of lint cot
ton per acre Is easily within the reach
OF every farmer who will give a little
thought and consideration 70 the prob
lem In presenting any figures indicat-
ing the draft made on the soil by
given crop OF cotton. one should remem-
Der that they are only approximate in
the sense that analyses made by Differ
ent Investigators under q variety OF soil
and seasonal conditions show some va
Ration in the amount OF plant food re-
moved BY the crop. There is not a wide
difference. however. in these various
analyses. but attention is called to this
INF
a slight discrepancy in the figures given
by various authors and are at a loss 70
understand why X should exist
A bale Of cotton with the seed will
remove from the soil approximately 81
pounds OF nitrogen. Is pounds OF phos-
phoric acid and u pounds OF potash. or
from $50 TO $50 worth OF plant food,
depending largely on the price paid for
the nitrogen AS only about % cents
in the lint. the seed viii remove from
each acre OF land from IS to 81 worth OF
plant food. and this constitutes the only
heavy draft which the cotton crop makes
on the soil; hence II the seed be so han
died as TO return to the land an adequate
proportion OF the plant food they con-
tain. only a slight depletion of the soil
supply OF plant food will occur. AS a
matter OF fact, the practice has been
them for meal. and as a result. millions
OF dollars worth OF plant food have
been removed from our southern soils
and shipped abroad In the form OF cot
ton seed meal for the benefit OF the
farmerx OF Denmark, Germany and Great
Britain. With the present prices prevail
ing for cotton seed by-products. II is
quite evident that the farmer can Sc
cure more meal in exchange for his seed
than the plant food they contain IS
worth. and II this meal be fed. which is
much the best practice. or applied direct
~ 70 the soil. he can maintain the crop
yielding capacity OF his land for an m
definite period The foregoing figures are
based or course, on an estimate OF loo
pounds OF seed being produced for each
bale OF lint cotton.
That cotton makes a much heavier
draft on the soil when the plant food
required to produce the stalk. leaf, root
and stem Is taken into consideration
than Is sometimes thought TO be the case
Is shown by the fact that a crop yield
ing 800 pounds OF dry lint win require
for Its maturity about 42s pounds OF
nitrogen. 12s0 pounds OF phosphoric acid
and s5.T4 pounds OF potash. OF this
amount OF plant food. 2-73 pounds OF nj
trogen OF somewhat more than one-half
would be contained in the burrs. leaves,
roots and stems: $50 pounds OF phos-
phoric acid. or almost one-half would
be found in the same relative parts. and