Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-10-04
- ~ 5as.sx, cDOCATION
-Ft y1-= AND SUCCESSFUL FARMING IseaN A8g
5n@n=l PyAnDRk1vM eoIZE sM Ma 80
Handling Land for Cotton
R ANDREWM. eSOUZE

Investigation of our crops to a de-
sirable degree. AS I see the situa-
ton it means to devote one-th1rd OF
our land to the production of corn,
one-third to the production or food
and feed crops, and one-third to the
production of cotton. Investigations
made by the office of farm manage
ment Of the United States depart
ment of agriculture in cooperation
with the various states indicate that
vii has been established for about
five years the most profitable type of
farming was conducted on those
plantations where only q per cent of
the land was planted to cotton. L
believe further investigation along
my view that not over one-third OF
the land should in any event be de-
voted to cotton. If we prepare and
handle this land in the most efficient
manner we can grow an abundance
of the fleecy staple on the re. reduced Ilce; !.
period, 1907-1916. it would appear,
for instance, that 51.3 per cent of the
cultivated land in Georgia was in
cotton. The time has arrived when
we should rotate crops, institute a
soil building program, prepare our
land for cotton with greater care
than has been exercised in the past,
and apply fertilizers with liberality
and Intelligence. The methods to
pursue along the line indicated have
been recently outlined by Professors
Childs and Ward, of the Georgia
State College of Agriculture, as fol-
lows:
1t has never been a wisely policy
to grow cotton on the same land
year after year as is shown by the
low yields obtained on such areas
and under weevil conditions cotton
should never follow cotton. Weevils
hibernate in and near the cotton
ton they begin to damage it much
earlier in the year. The crops to
include in the rotation will vary in
different sections of the state, but
should usually include corn and small
grains as we'll as cotton. A legume
crop as cowpeas, velvet beans or soy
beans should by all means be includ-
ed in the rotation to supply nitro
gen and organic matter.
Cotton cannot be profitably pro-
land that made only 200 to 400
pounds per acre Of seed cotton before
| the boil Weevil arrived. There is
much of this kind of land in the
state and the first steps toward its
Improvement can be made by grow
ing such a legume as the velvet
bean, which is probably our greatest
soil builder, where it can be grown.
! An excellent growth of velvet beans
in corn has been noted as far north
as Jackson county. On the sandy
lan3s of the southern part of the
state the velvet bean is very val
liable soil builder.
Cowpeas, soy beans, peanuts,
hairy Vetch, crimson and bur clover
are other legumes that can be grown
in various parts Of the state. These
crops may be grazed off and the resi-
due turned under, or on very poor
land the entire crop should be turned
ting it for hay adds practically moth
ing to the soil and where it Is de-
sired to build up the soil rapidly the
entire crop should be turned under.
Deep fall blowing is another means
Of building up poor lands. This in
creaSes the feeding area of the roots
and gives the soil greater water
holding capacity.
1t is usually not profitable to at
tempt to grow cotton on land thai
has a prospect of making less thar
one-half bale per acre because of the
der weevil conditions. Land ex
tremely rich in nitrogen where al
excessive growth of stalk is made i:
not suited for cotton under Weevi
| conditions. Such spots will be note(
in many fields and the application Q:
|
will do much toward balancing up tn
plant food content on such areas
thereby producing more norma
growth. Rich bottom lands hav
never been good cotton soils and I'm
der weevil conditions should never b
planted in cotton.
Land in the northern part of tn
state should by all means be plowe
as early in the fall as practicable
the earlier the better. Land can b
plowed deeper in tne fall and tn
! fresh plowed land left exposed to tn
freezing and thawing action, throug
the winter which liberates plant foo
and improves the physical condition
Spring preparation for plantin
can be made, earlier on fall ploWe
land than on spring plowed land. A
vegetable matter as crop residue:
grass and weeds when turned unde
in the fall begin to decay by sprin
and supply some plant food to tn
growing crop.
Fall blowing also causes the so
to absorb more of the winter raj
for use by the cotton crop.
On the sandy soils of the souther
part Of the state blowing may be de
layed until November or Decembe
especially where it is desired to graz
off such crops as velvet beans an
l peanuts but it should not be dalaye
longer than necessary.
, Land can not be broken properl
with small one-horse plows and
good seed bed can not be prepare
unless larger p1ows are used. Thes
larger implements not only prepa1
land deeper and more thoroughly bl
the land can be prepared at less e.
. pense. It is often Impractical fl
the small farmer to own a two-hors
plow but by cooperating with h
. neighbors one can be secured.
! The tractor with either disc I
. moldboard attachments can be use
to advantage on many farms. Fl
: breaking hard, dry land a tractc
: and disc pillow have proven very e
! fective.
In the early spring the land tn;
was broken in the fall should be ri
over with a disc harrow. The ROW
, may then be laid off. There are Sc
l. eral types of implements that may
= used to advantage for this purpos
The ordinary middle buster is ust
on many farms or an ordinary plo
stock with a shovel may be used.
two-horse cultivator with all exec
the two outside feet removed is
e, very excellent tool for this puSpos
+. These feet can be set at any requir
e distance and two rows laid off
NJ one time. A marker may be attach
:: for getting the rows at unifor
;. distance.
The width of the row depends
the fertility of the soil. On t
.. poorer lands which make a sms
weed the rows should not be mo
. than three feet apart while on t
!, better soils they should often be
= wide as four and one-half feet. Ian
; requiring a wider row than this a
not usually suited for cotton und
r weevil conditions.
IS; The rows should in all cases
III wide enough to allow the sunlig
n | to reach the ground between t
rows as the hot sun will kill lar