FERTILIZERS, ROTATIONS FOR COTTON 95 



usually is applied to some crop in the rotation other than 

 cotton, preferably corn, thus allowing the cotton crop to 

 get the residual effect of the manure. The direct apphca- 

 tion of the manure to the cotton often extends the grow- 

 ing season of the plants, delays maturity and hence de- 

 creases the possible yield and profit, especially in sections 

 subject to the ravages of the boll-weeviL In case it is 

 necessary to apply the manure directly to the cotton crop, 

 the application should be made in the fall preceding the 

 growth of the crop and should be immediately plowed 

 under. This is especially important on clay soils, as de- 

 composition takes place slowly in heavy soils and the 

 constituents of the fresh manure become available slowly. 

 As the clays possess very powerful absorptive properties, 

 the value of the manure will not be lost as a result of its 

 early application. In sandy soils, on ^the other hand, 

 unless the season is dry, the conditions are such that the 

 manure decomposes readily, and there is greater danger 

 that some of the soluble constituents will be carried away 

 in the drainage water. 



Stable manure is usually broadcast at the rate of 6 to 

 12 tons to the acre. Heavy applications generally return 

 greater profits to the acre of land while light applications 

 give larger profits to the ton of manure applied. 



107. Composts for cotton. — During the period from 

 1870 to 1880 composts received considerable attention as a 

 fertilizer for cotton. Within recent years, their use for this 

 purpose has decreased as it has been found that, in many 

 cases, the improvement is not sufiicient to compensate 

 for the trouble and cost of making them. 



The increased interest manifested in compost by cotton 

 farmers during the period from 1870 to 1880 was due 

 largely to the writings of Parish Furman, of Baldwin 



