28 The Bulletin, 



plied not less than two weeks before the date of planting;. Shortly before this 

 last date the beds should be finished, and, just ahead of the planter they should 

 be made smooth and mellow, and somewhat reduced in height, by the use of a 

 common harrow. 



It should have been stated before that divided doses of fertilizer have not 

 been found effective, excepting that a small portion of the fertilizer, say 40 to 

 100 pounds per acre, may be reserved for applying in the seed furrows at 

 the time of planting. Perhaps a better plan is to apply a little nitrate of soda, 

 say 25 to 30 pounds per acre, in the seed furrow. This seed furrow application 

 will cause a vigorous development of the seedling plants, bring them forward 

 to thinning time more rapidly, enable them to better stand unfavorable condi- 

 tions and to resist the attacks of lice and other insect enemies. Its remoter 

 effect is to encourage more rapid growth during the early stages, and to that 

 extent hasten maturity. 



COTTON CULTURE. 



By W. J. McLENDOX, Anson County. 



The subject I propose to discuss with you to-day is cotton culture. The fact 

 that the Southern States produce three-fourths of the cotton that clothes the 

 world makes it a live subject, and one that deserves our careful study. As 

 cotton planters, we are confronted by conditions to-day that a few years ago 

 were unknown ; then labor was cheap and plentiful, and forty acres, a nigger 

 and a mule was the slogan ; to-day we have the mule an-d forty acres, but the 

 nigger is gone, or worthless. Now, how are we to overcome this labor prob- 

 lem, cultivate our lands and hold the monopoly as a cotton country? 



To the solving of this problem let us now direct ourselves. The first step in 

 cotton culture, under existing conditions, is the proper preparation of the 

 land. Say we have our lands divided into suitable sections, and we wish to 

 use one section for cotton next year, then begin the preparation by growing 

 small grain of some kind, following with peas, using 400 pounds of ash element 

 per acre, put in broadcast or with drill, and one to two bushels of peas per 

 acre. When the peas are beginning to ripen, if you have stock or can purchase 

 some to consume the hay, cut the peas and feed to stock, taking good care of 

 the manure, and apply to land. This is the most profitable way to use the 

 pea crop ; but if you have no stock, and won't buy, then turn under after frost 

 all the peas, grass, etc., thus putting into your land vegetable matter that will 

 be converted into cotton and pay a large dividend on the investment. Xever. 

 under any circumstances, mow the peas from the poor places in the field. 

 Your purpose should be to have your fields of a uniform fertility, producing 

 cotton of equal size and fruitage, upon each acre; so look carefully after tjie 

 poor spots. 



The best plow that I have any acquaintance with is the Reversible Disk. 

 It turns any stubble that may be on land, giving it a rotary motion that mixes 

 the stubble' soil and subsoil as no other i)low does. Plow the land alK)ut two 

 inches deeper than it was plowed last. Follow plowing with half bushel of 

 rye, harrowed in, per acre. Next spring, when the land is dry enough to 

 work, and before the rye begins to head, take a disk harrow and sharpen each 

 disk well, then set disk to run about three inches deep and run it over the rye. 

 This cuts it up and works it into the land ; in about one week run harrow 

 in opposite direction, setting disks to run five to six inches; in many instances 

 two harrowings will do; sometimes and on some lands it will take three. 

 This is all the work that is necessary before putting in fertilizer. 



Use as nmch fertilizer as you are willing to buy, I)ased upon the amount of 

 vegetable matter turned under and the general fertility of the soil not to ex- 

 ceed 1,000 pounds per acre, unless the land is rich. Poor land devoid of humus 

 will not boar heavy applications of commercial fertilizers. Quite a large 

 amount of fertilizers are lost each year by such methods. 



