Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-06-30

C0TT0N, at present, is the principal
crop grown in all the counties sur
rounding Americas The receipts of
this city for this season will reach
we'll on to $4,000 bales. This does
not include the number of bales re-
eeiYed at other points within this
county Sumter.
This particular section, perhaps,
produces more cotton per square mile
than any other section in the South
ern states, and Sumter and Terrell
counties exceed all the others in this
section OF Georgia.
The reason for this is apparent when
the soils and climate are taken into
consideration.
To begin with, the soils are as we'll
adapted to the growth of this crop as
Gan be found anywhere. 1t is true,
however. that cotton is suited to al
most every soil type known. Bottom
lands, as a rule, are not suited to the
growth OF cotton. because the weed
Becomes so large and the foliage is so
dense. both of which conditions are
anfayorab1e TO the best yield and to
she quality Of the lint, and such con-
ditions are favorable to certain dis
eases to which cotton is susceptible.
The reason for this is readily I'M
derstood when it is known that cot
ton is by nature a tropical plant, re-
quiring plenty of sunshine for the
development of every part of its sys-
tenn IF the bolls are shaded, as they
viii De when cotton is grown on such
lands, their vitality is lowered, there
BY weakening and shortening the fiber
and making. it susceptible to anthrac-
nose, a very dreaded disease in cotton.
Also. boil worms and other cotton in.
sects thrive best in such places.
There are not any real large areas
Of bottom lands in this section, but
small areas are to be found on al
most every farm. Such areas should
De sown to grain or planted to corn,
or better still, devoted to pasture, for
sYery farmer should interest himself
IN live stock A diversified agricui-
sure is needed everywhere. 1t is the
very foundation of independence and
prosperity. So it is well that we
have such areas In fact our claim
for this section is made stronger on
account of them.
The factor that most affects the
growth and productiveness of cotton
is climate Very little cotton is
grown beyond the northern boundary
Of Georg a. and no upland cotton south
eff the southern boundary, and, in fact,
very little OF any kind of cotton.
The reason for this is again appar-
ent when it is known that the further
north cotton is grown the smaller the
weed and the shorter the time for
maturity of the fruit, both of which
conditions materially affect the yield,
while the further south it is grown the
larger the weed, until condition SIM
dar TO that found in cotton grown on
sottom lands in this section exists.
1t is readily seen then that this Sec
hOn lies within the heart of the cot
ton growing area and has right to
claim advantage over other areas with
reference to cotton.
The average yield of cotton per acre
Scr this section is about 200 pounds of
ant, or about 500 pounds of seed cot
aon- The average for the white farm
eTs, who live on their farms and do d
great deal of the work themselves, is
about 300 pounds of lint or 900 pounds
sE seed cotton per acre. Many yields
II as high as two bales per acre were
reported this last season.
Mr. ]. ]. Dozier, of Plains, Ca, who
Azd demonstration farm of IA acres
IN cotton, got % bales weighing 500
pounds each, and the average of all
the government demonstrators in the
county Sumter the past season was
1875 pounds seed cotton. with an av-