Americus times-recorder., 1920-03-22
By MAJOR W. L. GLEssNER.


About nine years ago a party of
English cotton manufacturers visited
the cotton section of the United
States, and after a pretty thorough
investigation authorized Mr.. l.. h.
Salisbury to combine several large
cotton plantations in Washington
county, Mississippi, one of the most
productive sections of the Delta.
This tract was purchased by the Fine
Cotton Spinners' Association OF Man
chester, England, and company was
organized under the title of Delta
and Pine Land Company, with Mr..
Salisbury as president, and Tor elght
wears has been operated under the
general management of Professor j.
w. Fox.
Professor Fox was formerly direc-
tor of the Mississippi Experiment
Station at Starksville. am making
separate paragraph of his state
ment because he is recognized as au-
thority on cotton cultivation, so that
proper weight may be given to his
opinions, which will follow.
Some idea of the extent OF the
operation of this plantation may be
gained from the following hgures:
thirty-four thousand acres are cultl-
waited, about one-half being planted
in cotton, and the balance in feed
crops for the live stock. The yield
of cotton is 5000 to 10000 bales;
,0O8 mules are used in the cultiva-
ton. The negro population on the
plantation is 4,00Q The headquar
tiers are at Scott, on the Yazoo and
Mississippi Valley Railway, where
there is a general office building,
large general store, postottice, gin
merry, warehouses;, hotel and resid-
ences of the officers.
The plantation is divided into II
units, each unit under separate man
agement, and a separate account Is
kept with each unit. Thirty-three
telephones connect these units with
the general store.
The crops are raised on shares,
one-tourth on the one-fourth share,
and three-fourths on the one-half
share plan. No wage hands are used
except at headquarters.
A system Of rotation Is used
corn and peas and oats and peas,
5000 bushel of peas being planted
every year. The purpose OF this ro-
tati0n being to place humus and nj
trogen IN the soil, that being the
only plant food of which the soil is
deficient, although | would have sup
posed that this rich alluvial soil would
have needed every other element ra-
ther than nitrogen. Some of the
land on this plantation has been cul-
tivated continuously for rs to 100
years.
was surprised to find that no trac-
tors or two-horse cultivators were
used-probably because the cultiva-
ton is done by negro croppers. The
ground is broken by two and four
horse plows and the cultivation by
one-horse double-stock plows. The
ground is broken in January, regard
less of the weather. saw plowing
done when water run in the furrow.
What most interested me IN my
talk with Professor Fox was what he
had to say in regard to the cultiva-
ton of cotton under boil weeyil con-
ditions.
Early planting and rapid cultiva
ton are of the utmost Importance,
and reallsPthe foundation of good
crop.
Plant twice as much seed as usual,
so as to be sure and get good
stand, for you have no time to re-
plant. In chopping, leave two stalks
to the hill. Previous to the appear
ance of the boil weevil he had made
experiments with two stalks to hill
and found it increased the yield.
Wide rows and thin planting is
mistake. Wanamaker-C Cleveland is
the variety planted on this planta-
ton, in usual width of row and dis