Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-04-11

earlier. and to cultivate shallow as long
as ne can.
HILLS VS.. DRILLS FOR COTTON.
w. G. X, Marietta, Ca, writes: /
would like to know the relative merits
of planting cotton in the hill as COM
pared with sprinkling the seed along the
row. I would also like to know how to
plant and fertilize Irish potatoes.
There is much difference of opinion as to
the advisability of planting cotton in
drills or hills, and the desirability of fol-
lowing one or the other practice depends
good deal on the condition of your land
and the character of seed you desire to
plant If one had a quantity of high
priced expensive seed It would be pre-
ferable to put IT in the hill as you can
make it go a good deal further in this
way. Where one has a quantity of seed
available it is just as good practice prob
ably TO plant in the drill. If the land is
in bad physical condition, planting in the
drill is probably desirable for the reason
that the large amount of seed put in
the ground helps to break the crust and
the cotton Wa come up more uniformly
on that account, but where 1t Is sown
SO thickly II is more difficult to thin
than when dropped in hills two feet apart.
With the selected strain of cotton which
we have been endeavoring to develop on
the college farm, we have found the hill
method very satisfactory. The land Is
red clay upland soil similar in charac-
ter to much of that found in north Geor-
gia. and was originally as poor as any
with which the average farmer has to
contend. Our cotton is planted in rows
four feet apart. II several seeds are put
in a hill there is generally no trouble
about their breaking through any crust
which may form, though of course we
try to keep the crust under control as
much as possible by narrowing the land
after each rain. The labor of chopping
in hills is considerably reduced. Our plan
is to leave two plants in each place
rather than one. experience having indi-
Gated that two plants, though not grow
| ing so large as one individual plant,
viii set on and develop a larger num-
Der of bolls than one plant AS a rule
we apply the fertilizer in the bottom OF
| the furrow before putting in the cotton,
and mix well with the soil by means of
bull tongue or other implement which
penetrates the earth TO some distance.
low bed is then made and the cotton
planted thereon. We would prefer to
plant on the level were II not for the
occasional wet season which results in
drowning out the seed. BY applying the
/ fertilizer as suggested ii is not placed
so deeply in the soil as to be beyond the
ready reach of the roots of the crop, and
yet it does not come In direct contact
with the seed.
Irish potatoes may be planted any time
from now on. The land should be well
prepared by careful breaking and surface
tillage to properly fine it. Next open wide
deep burrows say two and a half to three
feet apart, depending on the richness of
the land. Put some well rotted manure
| in the bottom OF the furrow. and mix
with IT a fertilizer containing not less
than per cent Of nitrogen, 10 per cent OF
phosphoric acid and 10 per cent Of pot
ash Use this formula at the rate Of 500
pounds per acre and mix well with the
manure and fertilizer with the pillow and
plant the potatoes. Drop the pieces con-
tanning two eyes. say Is inches apart in
the drill: cover to a depth OF six inches
so as to protect from cold and frost. I'm
less the potatoes show evidence of break
ing through the ground run over with
harrow and fill the trenches between the
rows run over with harrow and I'LL the
trenches between the rows which the
covering has necessitated. Cultivate light
ly and continuously until ready for harv-
est. and keep bugs and other insect pests
in check by spraying.