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UNIONTOWN,

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ALABAMA.

Bulletin No. ILl,

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Ma.·ch, 1892

c;:::? OOTTON. ~ ,
BRO WN PRINT tNG

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P 1UNTE RS, MONTGO MERY , ALA.

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CANE BRAKE
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION,
UNIONTOWN, • . ALABAMA .

BULLETIN No. 14.

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MARCH, 1892

BOARD OF CONTROL.
HECTOR

D. L .... NE •••....•.. •. . Commissioner of Agriculture, Ex-Officio.

W. L. BROUN, L.L . D .... _, _, _, ... _ . ... . . . . . . ... . Director, Ex-Officio.
M IMS W ALKER . ....... . ............... , . .. . ..... .. . . ' Faunsdale, Ala.

W . M . BOOK E R . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. .. .... . . . ..... .. . . . . . Uniontown , DR. J. HUGG INS .. .. . ... ... . .. • ....• _. .• •.....• _: ...... Newbern , A. SLEDGE . . ... . .. . . . . .......... . . . .......... W h itsett, G. D. STOLL£NWERCK .•• • . •.• _ .• • .•...... . •.. • •• , ••. Tomb igbee,
SECR&TARY OF THI£ BOARD .

Ala.
Ala.

Ala.

Ala.

W. H .

NEWMAN . . . . .. . . . . . ..... . .. .. .. . ... .. . .. .... . Un iontown,

Ala.
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OFFICERS OF THE STATION.

W. L . BROUN, L .L. D, Director ... . ......... . . . _. Auburn, W. B. NEWMAN, Assistant Director .in Cbarge . . . . . U n ion town, T . J. KE AN, V. M. D., Veterinarian . . . Union tow n, MIMS WALKER, Treasurer .. . .. . . .... . .......... Fallnsdale,

Ala. Al a. Ala. Ala.

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COTTON
EXPERIM~NTS.

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(6) Acre No. 1. Drainecl.-2,000 lbs. of green cotton seed in the drill and bedded on early in January, 1891 ; planted April 10th. Yield 1,236 pounds seed cotton. (a) Acre No 1. Undrained. '---Manured and planted as acre No. 1 drained. Yield 1,250 pounds seed cotton. (b) Acre No. 2. Drained.-No manure; planted April 10th. Yield 992 pounds seed cotton. (b) A cre No.2. Unclrained.- No manure. Yield 1,284 pounds seed cotton. (c) Acre No B. Dmined.-400 pounds cotton seed meal in drill; planted April 13th. Yield 1,412 pounds seed cot· ton. (c) A cre No B. Undrained. - ll/fanured and planted as acre No. 3 drained. Yield 1,288 pounds seed cotton. (d) Acre No 4. Drained.-200 pounds cotton seed meal in drill; planted April 13th. Yield 1,504 pounds seed cotton. (e) Acre No 4. Drained.-200 pounds cotton seed meal in drill at time of planting; 200 pounds broadcast in middles June 231'd; planted April 13th. Yield 1,416 pounds seed cotton. (f) Acre No 6. Undrained.-Seeded to melilotus two years; cost $3.25; planted April 9th. Yield 1,495.68 pounds seed cotton.
(g) Acre No 7. Undm·inecl.-Seeded to peas two years; cost $7.00 ; planted April 9th. Yield 1,328.40 pounds seed cotton. \ L -_

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(h) Acre No.8. Undrained.-Broadcasted with 18 tons of stable manure October, 1889; bedded to five feet rows; . planted April 9th. Yield 1,375 pounds seed cotton. (i) Acre No.9. Drained.-Checked four by four one stalk to hill. Land rich gardeu spot; planted April 3rd. Yield 2,375 pounds seed cotton. The following is clipped from Bulletin No. 11 on cotton, and gives the notes on the preparation, planting and cultivation of the plots in 1890 :
EXPERIMENTS WITH GREEN COTTON SEED AND COTTON SEED

MEAL ON COTTON.

Acres No. 1, 2, 3, drained and nndrained land were on " shell ridge '" land and had grown a crop of wheat and peas the previous season. The land was flnshed in November and bedded in December, 1889. The green seed were applied in deep fnrrow and bedded on in December. The meal was applied in drill at the time of planting. Acres 4 and 5 were lower down on the ridge where the "shell ridge " blended with the" black slough" bottom, and had been in oats and peas the previous season. The seed were planted April 7th, but the meal was not well mixed with the soil and killed them on acres 3, drained and undrained, and No. 4 and 5 drained land. They were replanted on April 23, and made a quick, rapid growth, and were chopped at the time acres 1 and 2 were. The late planted made a much larger weed, but was late, and the frost killed a heavy crop of bolls. The plats on undrained land lay lower down on the ridge, and suffered from standing water that under-drainage would have earried off. Acres No.1, where the seed were applied, were naturally well drained and did not suffer from standing
water.

The increased yield by the application of a ton of seed on

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the undrained land was 156~ pounds of lint cotton, which paid for the cost of the seed and the cost of application. The increased yield on the drained was only 40~ pounds. The undrained land was naturally stronger and well surface drained. The increased yield by the application of the cotton seed meal did not pay. A ton of seed per acre is not practicable on a large area. Forty bushels per acre is quite a large application. Unless crushed, the seed should be applied very early so that they will be well decom posed by the time of planting. It is better to open water furrow and apply seed and bed on them, than to sow broadcast.
PEA VINES AND MELILOTUS. ACRES

6

AND

7.

Acres 6 and 7 had been in melilotus and peas, respectively, two years. The cost of seeding to melilotus was $3.25, and to peas $7.00, or 3.50 each ·season. The land was in very impoverished condition when seeded to these crops. The acres were flushed in December, 1889, and bedded ill January, 1890. A heavy crop of melilotus came up, but was vel'y easily killed by the first plowing and hoeing. The acre in the melilotus produced 11.48 pounds more seed cotton per acre than the acre in peas. The appearance 'of the cotton on the melilotus land was very sickly, and it remained smaller and yellow until the latter part of June, when it commenced to grow rapidly and made a better growth than the aere that was in peas. Peas will give the best returns for one season, and melilotus for two, for the cost of seeding to peas for two seasons is double that of melilotus.
STABLE MANURE. ACRE

No.8.

One acre of "black slough " bottom, that had been in corn, waS flushed in October, and eighteen tons of stable manure was applied broadcast the latter part of the month, and the land bedded to five foot rows in November. The

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manure was about two-thirds saw-dust, and cost from $1.00 to $1.50 per ton, including the hauling. The saw-dust probably prevented profitable effect of the stable manure. The acre produced 448 pounds of lint, and plots just across the slough produced 495 and 489! pounds lint without manure. Stable manure has generally given good returns, when supplied in sufficient quantities, for several years. It is claimed by many that stable manure gives the best results the second year on prairie lands; if so, the fact will be determined this season on corn and cotton, so far as one season's test will prove.
ACRE

No.9,

CHECKED FOUR BY FOUR FEET.

This acre had been used as a garden for four years, and during that time had received heavy applications of commercial fertilizers, green cotton seed and stable manure, and in 1890, 400 pounds of cotton seed meal broadcast, before bedding. The land was a mixture of red prairie and white lime rock, and was not suited for a garden. The land was flushed in the fall of 1889, and bedded in February, 1890, to four foot rows. The seed were planted M;arch 29th. A scooter furrow was run across the beds every four feet, and the seed dropped in the opening. The hills were thinned to one stalk. The cotton made a very rank growth, and a large number of bolls rotted on account of the thick foliage, and a great many were killed by frost. The acre produced 631 pounds of lint cotton, The variety of cotton was Improved Peterkin, and was late in maturing, the last picking being made in December.

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RECAPITULATION.
Experiment with Cotton .
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1 (a) 1 (a) 2 (b) 2 (b) 3 (e) 3 (e)

Drained . 2,000 Ibs . green cotton seed . , ' . Undrained. 2,000 lbs . green cotton seed . Drained. No manure . _. - . .... .. .. . . . .. . Undrained. No manure . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . Drained. 400 lb • . C. S. ~lea l ... . . -,Undrained. 400 lb • . O. S. Meal . .. . . . ..... 4 (d ) Drained. 200 lb •. C . S. Meal 5 (e) Drained . 200 lbs. in drill before plantinlZ and 200 broadcast in middl es, June 23rd, 1891. 6 Melilotus two years. Cost $3.25 ... . . ... . . . 7 Peas two years Cost$700 . . . . - , . .. . . .. . .. . .. . 8 18 tons stable manure in 1890 9 Ch ecked 4 x "one stalk in hill. Land rich garden
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1518 1736,. 1355 1212 1456 749 1390 1I81 1607 2 1602 28 13:!i:L5
1857

1236 1250
9~2

12M 14 12 1288 1504 1416 1495.68 1328.40
1375

spot

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2375

Owing to the very wet weather the plots could not be allowed before bedding. A deep furrow was run in the .ld water furrow and the land bedded nn this furrow. Each ,lot was planted and cultivated and harvested the same as in 890. The increased yield on some of the undrained plots was ne to the dry season. In 1890 the water stood for a week, ~ times, in the water furrow during the growing season. Acre No. 9 was planted in Peterkin, in 1890, and in 'rake's Cluster, Peerless, P eterkin, and Truit in 1891. The following is the yield of each variety in lint, per
}re:

Drake's Cluster, Peerless, P eterkin, Trnit,

744 lbs.

792 "
840 "

592 "

The stable manure on aoxe No. 8 did not increase the eld, the secoud year, but 48l lbs. of seed cotton. :rt is

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generally supposed that stable manure gives the best returns the second year. Tbe weed was not as large tbis season in any of the plots as last season, but were more prolific. In 1890 a great many bolls were killed by the irost and rotted from being sbaded by tbe large weed. Tbis season tbey were not damaged by the frost or too dense a growtb. Tbe cotton on tbe melilotus acre, grew off well from the start, and did not bave tbat sickly, yellow appearance that it had the first season up to June. Its appearance was similar to tbe acrA in peas and tbe adjacent plots fertilized with C. S. Meal.
VARIETIES.

Table No.1 gives tbe yield of the varieties in seed cotton, lint, and tbe per cent. of lint for 1890 and 189l. A perfect stand was not obtained until late in May, on account of dry weatber. Some of tbe plots came up well, soon after planting, to almost a perfect stand and was the cause of some of the varieties producing so much greater yield than tbe others. Each plot W",S thinned to tbe same number of stalks in June, and received similar cultivation. The land was first fallowed and tben bedded, the same as the previous season. Drake's Oluster, King's Improved and Peerless were the first to open and yielded more seed cotton tbe first picking. Peterkin, Hawkins Improved, and Oberry's Olusters produced the largest yield of lint, and Truit, Peerless, and Welborn's the least. Peterkin and Peerless are the most desirable varieties.

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T~I$.LE

.No.1.

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1890.

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VARIBTIKS.

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l !Barnet . _. .. . . ...... _.. . . . . ..... . 1144 2 Brazer's Peterkin . . . . . . . .. . 920 . . . . 1132 3 Che rry's Cluster ..... 4 Drake's Clu ster ... ..... . . . 5 Hawkin's Imp . .. .. .. , ... . . . . . . 1330 1276 6 Jones' Imp .. .. . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . ". 1256 7 Kin g's Imp .. . .... . .

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9 Peerless 10 Peterkin
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12 Texas Storm and Drouth Proof. ... 1412 13 Truit .. . . .. . . .. .. 14 Wellborn's ... . 1248 ". .. . ..
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..... . 1698 .. ... . . .. . 1470 . .. . ' ... 1284
1427

1368

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352 306 1440 93 465 93 ~3.02 312 33 .9 1233 74 433 12 35 10 328 28 9 1571) 475 20 30 1292 81 420 32. 48 390 29.3 1620 93 479.06 29 .69 372 29 .1 1437 18405 93 32 42 372 29 5 1391.24 459 37 33 01 424 30 t\ 1200 !l3 406 87 33.87 520 30 6 1200 .93 360 93 30 05 472 32 1 1404 37 4115 62 34 .57 376 29.2 1458 .43 406 87 29 80 448 31 7 1530 62 41)2 81 31.65 1043.43 ~54 37 33 96 360 28 8 1391 25 393 7" 28 30 40328 2 1194.37400 3133 51

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FERTILIZERe, "BLACK SLOUG H" LANDS.

Table No.2 gives the results of the fertilizer expet·iments in 1890 and 1891. Nitrate of soda gave the greatest yield and F loats the least in 1891. The increased yield would not pay for the cost of the fertilizer. Sulphate Ammonia, gave the greatest in 1890 and Floats the least. These results verify the conclusions for the. first five years, viz: That commercial fertilizers are not profitably used upon this claEs of soil.

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TABLE NO_ 2_ S_1$

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FERTILIZERS

1890.

FERTILIZERS

1891.

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- -- -------- - ----- - ---- " - '" - I 90 Ibs suI. ammonia

1440 1384 1208 1400 1296 1360 1248 1176 1256

2195 lbe dis. bone black 3 150 Ibs kainit . . . . . . . . . 4No manure . .. . . . 90 5 { 150 IbR suI. ammonia, lbs kainit 90 lbs suI e { 195 the dis. ammonia, bone black tbe kainit, 7 {I50 Ibs dis. bone black 195 8 No manure ..... . {90 Ibs . ul. ammonia, 9 150 tbs kainit, 195 Ibs dis. bone black 10 300 Ibs float • . ... .... lbs floats, 11 90 Ib s suI. ammonia ,.

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I 96 lbs nitrate soda. 2240 Ibs acid phosphate . .. 3 64 lbs muriate potash .. . 4 No manure 96 1bs ni trate soda, <> 64 lbs muriate potash 96 Ibs nitrate soda. 6 240 lhs acid phosphate 7 ~ 64 Ibs muriate potash, 240 Ibs aCid phosphate 8 No manure. ..,

1792>6 17437.;
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1676~

17587.;
1MB%' 16537.;

~ 96 Ibs nitrate soila, 9 . 6-l Ibs muriate poeash,

~240 Ibs acid phosphate .. 1713%

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240 Ibs fl oat. . 1391,.96 Ibs nitrate soda. 240 1hs floats. . ... 1608%

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