204 



Sandy clay soils containing 0.1% phosphoric acid and a sufficient 

 quantity of lime are sufficiently productive for a period of from 

 8-15 years. 



If lime is not present in sufficient quantities then the percentage 

 of phosphoric acid present must be at least twice as much. The 

 best valley soil of the Mississippi contains 0.3% phosphoric acid, 

 and the so-called Black-Earth has 0.46%, The red clay soils of 

 Tennessee are foremost in that respect with 0.563%. As to potash, 

 with O.56 the limit is reached so that potash manuring must be 

 considered a necessity. 



The soils of the fruitful valley of the Mississippi contain 1.3%, 

 other heavy clay soils contain from 0.8-0.5%, light clay and sandy 

 soils contain, even up to a considerable depth not less than 1% of 

 this constituent and 1.4% of lime. 



The soils of the South of the United States are generally rich in 

 potash and therefore seldom need manure containing enough of 

 that substance. 



Not much importance is to be attached to potash if the soils are 

 rich in phosphoric acid and lime. 



Xo manure was used in America before the War of Independence. 

 After the liberation of the slaves many good workmen became 

 free, who threw themselves into agriculture and specially busied 

 themselves with cotton growing. From that time to the present day, 

 concentrated manures are employed in the cultivation of cotton in 

 the United States, with the exception of a few places where the 

 virgin soil is used and in the alluvial soils along the great rivers. 



Perhaps on no other agricultural product has manure exercised 

 such influence. Not only because with the assistance of manure, 

 paying results were possible from soils which would otherwise have 

 been unsuitable for cultivation, but the good effect of manure, 

 manifests itself also in this respect, that the growth of the cotton 

 plant is quickened, and thereby the limits of its area of cultivation 

 is pushed further northwards. 



And that no small amount of manure is used is seen from the 

 fact that in the states of South Carolina and Georgia one lot of 

 manure, consisting of 60 kilos phosphoric acid, 18 kilos Nitrogen 

 and 18 kilo grammes of potash is usually used per bouw. This is 

 generally given in this form : — 



Hypophosphate 410 k.g. 

 Chili Saltpeter 115 ,, 

 Potass Chlorate 100 ,, 



One lot costing about /. 40. 



The only place where eolton is grown without any manure, is 

 on rich alluvial soils. And even in these cases some manure is used 

 as in the fruitful alluvial soils of Egypt, which continually receives 

 the mud of the Nile, where T7 — 26 M 3 of stable manure are used 

 per bouw. 



Culture and Harvest. 

 In order to get a good insight into the Cotton culture, we can do 

 no better than to consider here shortly the states which exist in 

 North America, the land which cultivates the most cotton, 



