118 
COTTON 
Let cotton come; the old field is xeady, there is 
no weariness now; no dragging of feet because 
famished by hunger or thirst; no sullen soil in 
which the cotton plant must send its unwelcome 
roots in search of food; no empty larder from 
which it is to turn away disappointed, 
FOUR THINGS TO DO 
Be reasonable with this soil from this time on. If 
you over-work it, evil results are sure to follow. 
Treat it properly and it will grow stronger and 
better. It will never despair again. 
These four things you must do : 
(1) Grow a legume of some kind every year or 
two 
(2) Use cotton only in some rotation 
(3) Plow deep and cultivate thoroughly 
(4) Keep humus in the soil. 
Fertilizers usually can be employed to advantage 
in soil restoration. Much plant food is not avail- 
able. It is present in the soil, but not in forms that 
plants can use. Time, tillage and thoroughness 
only will wake this plant food from its sleep and 
rest that plants may use it abundantly, and when 
they have need for it. Until that time phosphorus 
and potassium may be added to the soil to help 
the cowpea. Nitrogen is not needed, since the 
cowpea attracts the bacteria that build nitrogenous 
store-houses on its roots. 
This mutual arrangement is especially helpful to 
the cowpea, since it is a ravenous nitrogen feeder 
and finds an abundance of nitrogen within 
reach of mouth and hand. So chemical nitrogen 
is not needed as a fertilizer for cowpeas. A mix- 
ture of sixteen hundred pounds of acid phosphate, 
