TjiK Bulletin. 57 



mont and eastern parts of the State, the increase in the yield of cotton not only 

 paid for the fertilizer used on the cotton itself, hut iilso overjuiid for the re 

 niaiiider of the fertilizer sold in the State for that year and iihc.I on all cropM; 

 but this shovvinji; iMi<,'lit. and we believe wonld, have Im-cp vastly better had heavier 

 and better suited fertilization been followed. It re<niired hist year in tliix State 

 2.2 acres to produce a bale of cotton \vcii,'hinj^ .500 pounds a;;!iiMst 2.!) acres to 

 the bale for the entire United States. With lint at l;i.2 ci-nts per pound atnl seed 

 at 45 cents per bushel (the fi^'ures used by the Cen.sus Hurt-iiu). ea<h bale of 

 cotton and the seed from it brou<;ht $7!), inakinj,' the value of the product of 

 each acre of cotton in this State that year $:{(». On basis of our results for five 

 years in the Piedmont and seven years in the east, an e.\|icnditure of $4 to $6 

 per acre additional for fertilizer would have produced double the crop, mid in 

 doin*' so would have added $20 to $25 per acre clear prolit, as a-,'aiiist a much 

 snuiller profit from a $30 crop. A procedure which would have producetl still 

 larger profits would have been the reduction of the cotton acreage by one-half, 

 using only the better land, putting on one acre the fertilizer whiih was applied 

 to two, when we would, I think, not have missed very far the yitdd of ci>tton 

 obtained in 190!) on one-half the area, and the land would have been left in better 

 condition because of its better fertilization, as I will show later. As it was, 20 

 to 25 per cent of the value of the cotton crop in 1!)0!) paid the State's entire 

 fertilizer bill. Unfortunately no such profits come from the fertilization of corn, 

 tlie grains and hay as from cotton. Cowpeas give large returns from proper 

 fertilization, but not nearly so large as cotton, and each of these crops must be 

 considered separately and in connection with our dillerent type soils if we are 

 to fertilize in the best way for obtaining most profitable returns, as well as for 

 the improvement of the soil. 



(4) Our tests have not been running long enough to enable us to speak with 

 the definiteness with which we would like, but they indicated quite clearly that 

 where 200 and 400 pounds of fertilizer respectively have been used per acre that 

 the land has lost in productiveness and has not given the yields in later years 

 that it did in the first ones. Where GOO pounds per acre was applied the land 

 has barely, if it really has, held its own; while with 800 and 1,000 pounds re- 

 spectively, per acre, there seems to have been a gain in productiveness. Except 

 phosphoric acid, 200 and 400 pounds of the fertilizer used did not supply as much 

 plant food as was removed in a bale of cott(m, which was close to the average 

 yield in all of the experiments; 800 and 1,000 pounds supplied a considerable 

 excess of both phosphoric acid and potash, but there was still a shortage in 

 nitrogen for one bale, even with 1,000 pounds. 



One thousand four hundred pounds of seed cotton, with 3.5.7 per cent lint, 

 would yield 900 pounds of seed and 500 pounds of lint; the lint and seed would 

 contain in round nundiers 30 pounds nitrogen, 12 pounds phosphoric acid, 13 

 pounds potash and 3.2 pounds lime. Only about fifty cents worth of these ferti- 

 lizer constituents are carried away in the 500 pounds of lint; under conditions 

 prevailing last j'ear the seed can be sold for enough to purchase 100 per cent 

 more fertilizer constituents than are removed by the seed and lint. 



Nine hundred pounds of cotton seed at present prices for fertilizer constituents 

 are worth $7.18 as fertilizer; 900 pounds of seed at 45 cents per bushel would 

 bring $13.50, and at 50 cents, $15. which is more than double the fertilizing 

 value of the seed. In other words, the seed can be sold for fifty cents per bu.-hel, 

 and twice the quantity of fertilizer constituents which they contain can be 

 purchased in other materials for what tiiey bring. 



P'or the red clay and red clay loam soils we recommand a fertilizer which will 

 contain 10 per cent phosphoric acid and 2 per cent each of nitrogen and potash. 

 The materials for making this fertilizer can be purchased for about $10. For the 

 sandy loam soils of the eastern part of the State we recommend a fertilizer con- 

 taining 7 per cent phosphoric acid, 3 per cent potash and 31/.. per cent nitrogen. 

 The materials for making 1,000 pounds of this fertilizer can be purchased for 

 $12. It is thus seen that the seed from a bale of cotton can be sold for more 

 than enough to nuike a 1,000-pound application of good fertilizer per acre. 



The balance of trade, so to speak, is seen now to be in favor of the cotton 

 farm. Every advantage possible should be taken of this. For years live stock 

 farms have helped deplete Southern cotton farms of their fertility. Unfortunately 



