Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-07-07


linseed meal. which viii no doubt be a
surprise to many. Moreover. when corn
was valued at so cents and oats at 40
cents q bushel. cotton seed meal was
shown to be worth at least $50 a ton
as an amendment In the ration OF
horses. No credit is accorded II for
fertilizing purposes in this estimate.
which would add about $50 more per
ton TO it's value.
NOTES On LAYING BY COTTON.
W. J. p. Sumner. Ga. writes: VIII
II pay to lay by cotton with the sizing
furrow open or is IL better to burst the
middles In II. What would be good to
SOW IN cotton at the last blowing as
winter grazing for hogs and cattle? Also
give me a remedy to prevent weevils
from destroying corn after IL is housed.
II is best to lay cotton by leaving the
ground as level as possible. There is
less loss Of moisture during dry spell
and less tendency to wash when this
practice is followed. Deep stirring OF
the soil at laying by time is not advisa-
BILE for the feeding roots OF the crop
come close to the surface and are de-
stroyed in large numbers when the
ground is stirred to considerable
depth. There is nothing which can be
cotton at the laying by time. In fact. II
rye sown at this period were to make
good growth, IL would probably inJure
the development of the cotton to some ex-
tent The best cover crops available are
the Oregon vetch, crimson clover and
rye or other winter cereal We would
personally prefer to avoid seeding any
o. these crops until after the second
picking OF cotton is made in the fall.
Then. oats or some other crop may be
sown by the open furrow method, two or
three burrows being run between success
sive cotton rows. depending on the dis
lance between the row. You will find
IL more satisfactory in our judgment to
take a small lot OF land and put down
two or three crops for winter grazing
by hogs Vetch and rye or oats or Grim
son clover will be found more satisfac-
tory for this purpose than anything else
you can use. OF course, artichokes
make fine grazing for hogs during the
winter season. but they should have
been planted much earlier than this date
in order to secure the best results.
Carbon bisulphide will prevent the de-
velopment o. weevils in stored grain.
The grain should be put in a compare
lively tight bin and covered over with
a sack. The carbon bisulphide is put
on plate and as 1t is heavier than air
as IL evaporates ii will pass down
through the grain and permeate every
part OF the mass. II the grain is ex-
posed to the air for few days the odor
disappears. IL is often necessary TO re-
peat the treatment at intervals to eff
fectually destroy the lweevil You should
bear in mind the fact that carbon bl-
sulphide is very inflammable and not
TO use matches or lights in its vicinity.
The right proportion in which to apply
IL is one pound to one ton Of grain, or
in empty rooms one pund to every 1000
cubic feet.
PLANT FOOD REMOVED BY COTTON
S. s. D.. Waxhaw, N. c., writes: In a
recent issue in answer TO F. d. W., Coch-
ran. Ca. you say that 500 pounds OF lint
cotton win take from the land II pounds
OF nitrogen, 3 pounds of PHOSPHORUS
and % pounds of potash, or 80 to 80
cents worth OF plant food. In view OF
the fact that $3.50 to $500 worth of COM
mercial fertilizers are advised inorder to
secure a respectable yield, of say one
bale per acre, how are we to understand
the statement that 50 cents worth of
plant food is the maximum amount TO
be needed in the production OF a bale Of
cotton?
Weighing 500 pounds only removes from
the soil about the amounts of plant food
mentioned in your letter and contained
in my reply to Brother Wimberly, OF
Cochran. This is due 20 the fact that
the constituents which make UP the fiber
are carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and
are supplied to all bplats abundantly from
the air, and while only small amount OF
plant food is removed in the lint itself.
IL should be remembered that considera-
Bile quantities of fertil5zing materials
are required by the pant in order that
Il may elaborate and produce the lint
You should also not lose sight OF the
fact that the lint can not be produced un-
less a healthy. vigorous plant with Its
root system, stem, brancehs and leaves
be developed and this calls for the util-
ization OF a very considerable quantity
of plant food Then. one should bear in
mind that there is a considerable loss Of
plant food from our soils by teaching
and washing No doubt some OF the
nitrogen escapes directly into the air as
a result Of oxidation and fermentation
which goes on rapidly under our climatic
conditions. II has been fairly well es-
tablished that plants DO not take up
more than half 20 two-thirds of the
plan food applied to the soil, and you
will thus see that considerably more
plant food applied to the soil. and you
actually expected the crop viii take up
One reason for this is undoubtedly due to
the fact that our soils in many instances
are not properly prepared by deep and
thorough cultivation and by practicing a
rotation OF crops which viii improve their
mechanical condition. making Il possible
for the plants TO develop more uniformly
through them and gather a larger part
Of the plant food applied commercially.
While these things may appear like
theories TO some. they are actual facts
which the chemical laboratory gives US
and II we lose our faith and belief in
chemistry. we lose our faith and belief
I'm progress. and the greater part of our
so-called knowledge, not only Of agricul-
ture but OF industries as well would be
lost and destroyed forever. There are
many incredible and surprising things in
nature, but this does not disprove their
truth, for as you know, nature works
in a mysterious way her wonders to per-
form" Your question is perfectly reas-
enable, and It is not surprising that the
explanation given Mr.. Wimberly should