ANALYSIS OP COTTON AND ITS SOIL. 213 



the soil. Practice has taught us, moreover, that in the great 

 majority of soils, some nitrogenous manure is necessary, in 

 order to give a quick early growth to the young plant. We 

 must then apply a manure composed of nitrogenous com- 

 pounds, phosphoric acid and potash ; the constituents neces- 

 sary can be very easily and cheaply supplied. 



Peruvian guano is the cheapest source of supply of nitro- 

 genous compounds. 



Bone dust for phosphoric acid. 



The various refuse of manufactories for potash. 



Sulphuric acid is best supplied by plaster of Paris, which 

 need not be used when bones are dissolved in sulphuric acid, 

 and used as a constituent of the manure. 



Whatever may be the productive capacity of cotton soil in 

 its virgin state, it must deteriorate by long continued culti- 

 vation; this must be met by having the composition of cotton. 

 The following table shows the substances and the quantity 

 used in a crop respectively by the fibre and seed. 



COTTON, 



Production Per Acre. 



Fibre, ...... 200 pounds. 



Seeds, GOO " 



General Composition (in pounds) of 



200 Ibs. Fibre. 600 Ibs. Seeds 

 Water, . . . . . 

 Organic Matter, 

 Ash or Mineral Matter, 



200-00 600-00 



