There is no subject which is of more vital interest to the South and to
the whole world than successful cotton culture. In spite of the repeated
claims to the contrary, in which every now and then it is predicted that
certain areas in Africa, India, China and South America will be devoted
to cotton, the fact remains that that strip of country lying on the map
of the Southern part of the United States is the finest cotton belt in
the world, and so far absolutely the only large body of land that has
ever produced year in and out any very great amount of the fleece. That
it will continue to be the world’s field for cotton for centuries remains
clearly proven, not only because of its adaptability but because upon it
live an intelligent and industrious branch of the great white race, to
guide and direct and work and this race of people have the best labor in
the world to assist—the negro.
In the early days this great cotton plantation, as the South might almost
be called, suffered greatly from careless and improvident cultivation in
which the rich soil lost much that might have been kept in it. The great
thing now is to reclaim and build up and at the same time produce cotton
for the steadily increasing demand, which is more as each year goes by.
With these preliminary remarks, and the further one that I cannot better
illustrate my subject than to quote my own personal experience and with
apology for the personal tenor of this paper, I shall give to others the
benefits of my limited success.
However, in every profession of life, each aspirant strives for golden
results, and as I feel that my harvests for the past few years have
increased several fold, perhaps the practical farmer may benefit some one.
In 1895 I purchased my farm containing about 200 acres. At that time
the natural resources of the soil were almost completely exhausted, the
produce from one acre being about one-third of a bale when planted to
cotton. I realized there was no money from so small a yield as that
so determined first to try to restore the impoverished soil—the soil
which for fifty years had been planted in cotton. The clean culture that
cotton requires had exhausted the humus from the soil, and it’s almost
impossible to make any money on cotton grown on such soil. I decided
that rotation of crops was the best and cheapest way of restoring this
soil. I divided my land into four fields, fencing each field with wire.
No. 1 I used for a permanent pasture. No. 2 I planted in cotton. No. 3
half in corn, the other half in oats, followed by peas. No. 4 I used as
a temporary pasture, thereby giving the soil a much needed rest. Don’t
be afraid to do this; the cattle and hogs sold from it will pay you some
rent, and in the improvement of your land lies the increase of your bank
account. Having started this rotation, I have kept it up, letting cotton
follow corn and oats, corn and oats follow temporary pasture, and pasture
following cotton. Could you see the result you would say with me that
rotation is the keynote to successful cotton culture. Occasionally a
farmer will have the seasons very favorable and make a good crop on land
deficient in humus, but what we are striving for is to make a paying crop
every year. This restoration of humus is a wonderful safeguard against
excessive wet or dry weather. Stable manure supplies this much-wanted
humus, but our supply is very limited; from the number of stock required
to work this amount of land we get only enough to cover three or four
acres. But we farmers have to acquire patience, anyway. Take your field
that has been planted in corn, oats and peas, as soon as the stock has
finished up what the mower left (we save all the pea vines we can for
feed). Now, turn under all stubble with a two-horse plow. If this is well
done, it will decompose before planting time, if you finished with the
plowing early enough, thereby adding much humus to the soil, as well as
nitrogen stored there by the pea crop. The custom is to break this land
flat, but I prefer to lay mine off in beds from the first. My land is
now bedded, and it is about time to commence planting. My fertilizer
distributor is started about two days ahead of my cotton planter. The
fertilizer is put in drill not over three or four inches deep, and is
to be followed by a harrow. Now, get the best cotton seed. I use what I
consider the best. I won’t tell you of its many good qualities for fear
you will think this an advertisement. After the cotton has come up to
a good stand, start the plows to barring it off. As soon as you have
finished barring put on little sweeps and run close to the plants. This
leaves them on a very narrow ridge and a good hand will chop from one to
one-half acres more per day than he would on a bar. Push the chopping,
and follow immediately, if possible, with plows, dirting the cotton up
with sweeps. In ten days’ time, or less, if it rains, go over again with
hoes, taking out every other hill and putting it to a stand. These two
workings with the hoe will cost very little more than to have put it to
a stand at first and the cotton will be in much better shape. Strive to
plow over every ten days until you see the first open boll. Guard against
plowing too wet. After rains wait until the soil crumbles. In cultivating
I use a double foot with two 14-inch sweeps, going twice to the row,
until the first of July. After that I use a 28 or 30-inch wing sweep. I
generally go over my crop with the hoes twice after it is put to a stand.
In dry seasons once is generally sufficient. By all means keep ahead of
the grass. It will injure your cotton and cost you more in the end to
clean it out. You see my advice is to rotate. Come, walk over my fields
with me and see my cotton, in places growing more than a bale per acre,
where a few years ago the yield was about one-fourth of a bale, and you
will say with me, “Help nature, give her back her natural elements, and
she will return you a harvest of gold.”