Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-06-30
Forty Thousand Bales Cotton Make Sumters Main Crop

results will be had at much less cost.
If it is desired TO mix this fertilizer at
home, the following formula will give
the desired analysis
1,030 lbs. 16 per cent acid phos-
phate; 500 lbs. cotton seed meal; 10
lbs muriate of potash; 1000 lbs, total
in ton mixture.
If mixed at home it will cost only
$3.50 per ton, while if bought ready
mixed, will cost about $2S.
Stable manure, perhaps, pays bet
ter when used under cotton, as a fer
tilizer than under any other crop. For
this reason, farmers should give more
attention to the raising and saving of
their barnyard manures.
Five hundred pounds per acre is
perhaps, the most practical and eco
nomtcal use of commercial fertilizer
to be recommended. If the land has
been we'll broken, has a fairly COOL
supply of vegetable matter, or humus
IN the soil, and the crop is we'll Guilt
waited, bale of cotton per acre can
be reasonably expected. Where as
high as 1000 or 1900 pounds per acre
has been used, in a good many in
stances, good yield, sometimes two
bales per acre, with good profits. hav.
been realized, but so large a QUANTITY
is not to be recommended.
Where cotton has ben planted on 7
level as described above, and in rows
equally and of uniform distance apart
much time and labor can be saved in
the cultivation of the crop.
After the cotton has been planted
and just before the seed have come IN
he weeder can be used advantageously
by running across the rows. This will
destroy all the little weeds, leaving
clean place for the cotton to begin its
growth, and will break the crust, maxi
ing it easier for the little plants to
come up, and will help in the conser-
yation of moisture.
After the cotton is up and growing.
the weeder can still be used to advant-
age. If run across the rows but few of
the plants will be destroyed and MANY
little weeds that are just coming I'D,
or are just up, will be DESTROYED. 1t is
a great saving of both time and labor
for a man with one horse or mule can
coTer at least 10 acres with a weeder
in single day.
The cultivation of cotton after this,
as with all other crops that are Gull.
tiYated, should be done as shallow as
possible so as not to disturb the little
roots. Civilizations should be given
primarily to save moisture rather than
to destroy weeds or grass. If the crop
is cultivated as often as it should be to
save moisture no cultivation will need
to be given to kill the weeds or grass
AS a rule, civilizations should be
given as early after each rain as the
land will permit, and once in every
ten days at least, when it is not rain
ing. This is not only necessary to
save moisture but to ventilate the
~Gll SO the roots can breathe and so
the oxygen of the air can work on the
unavailable plant-food compounds OF
the soil, rendering available plant
food.
No certain number of civilizations is
to be recommended, but | should sa,,
ordinarily, at least, seven. These cul.
tivations should be given in the main
with cultivators, such as the spring
tooth cultivators They are great la
Der and time savers.
The civilizations should continue as
late as possible so as to keep the cot
ton growing and fruiting. 1t is we'll to-
continue cultivating until the cotton
has begun to open. This cannot be
done where the weed of the cotton
grows to be large.
Where it is impossible for the farm
er to break his land in the fall. if,
right after the first picking, say the
latter part of September, he would SOW