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Cornell University Library 
 S 639.A31 
 co-operative fertilizer. est; c^^^^^ 
 
BULLETIN 
 
 SOUTH EAST ALABAMA 
 
 gritttltural |;;^perim^nt %Mm, 
 
 ABBEVILLE, A.LA.. 
 
 APRIL, 1898. 
 
 S. T. SLAYTON, B. S. 
 
 Brown Printing Co., Montgomery, Ala. 
 
BOARD OF CONTROL. 
 
 Hon. JNO 0. TURFER, State Sup't of Education, E.r-officio., 
 Montgomery, Ala. 
 
 Hon. I. F. CULVER, Commissioner of Agriculture, Ex-officio, 
 Montgomery, Ala. 
 
 Dr. A. 8. STEAGALL, Chairman of Board Clopton, Ala. 
 
 R. W MILLER, Secretary Abbeville, Ala. 
 
 Hon. J. B. ward, Treasurer Abbeville, Ala. 
 
 Hon. a. B. BUSH Bugh, Ala. 
 
 M. V. OAPPS Abbeville, Ala. 
 
 OFFICERS OF EXPERIMENT STATION. 
 
 J. V. BROWN, M. S Director. 
 
 S. T. SLATON, B. S Agriculturist. 
 
 FRANK MILLER In Charge of Farm. 
 
CO-OPERA.TIVE FERTILIZER TEST; CONDUCTED 
 ON THE EXPERIMENT STATION OF THE 
 SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AGRICUL- 
 TURAL SCHOOL IN 1897. 
 
 This was a test of the value of different fertilizers when 
 applied separately or in combination with others. Ferti- 
 lizers and directions for this test were furnished by Prof. 
 J. F. Duggar, Agriculturist of the Alabama Experiment 
 Station at Auburn. It was not conducted as was originally 
 designed by him, yet this does not debar us from drawing 
 some definite conclusions, regarding the proportions and 
 amounts in. which fertilizers should be applied. 
 
 The land on which this experiment was conducted, is a 
 light red soil, inclined to be sandy, with a red clay subsoil, 
 which latter is very compact. The compact sub-soil renders 
 the land very retentive of moisture and fertilizers. It is 
 high upland with a slope of three or four feet to every one 
 hundred, free from stumps, gullies, and other irregularities. 
 It has a light friable texture, rendering it very easy to 
 cultivate. From my own observation, and from the opinion 
 of others who are acquainted with the soil of Henry and 
 adjoining counties, I feel justified in saying that the plot 
 used for this experiment is a fair representative of very 
 large bodies of land in the district. It has been cleared for 
 more than fifty years, and has been in constant cultivation 
 since that time. 
 
 It is regarded as medium cotton land. 
 
 The rows were laid off four feet and four inches apart, 
 with an eight-inch shovel. This furrow was listed On by 
 running two furrows on each side with a six-inch turn plow, 
 throwing the wing to the furrow in each case. The middles 
 were then run out with a shovel ; the fertilizers were ap- 
 
plied in this furrow at a uniform rate, and thoroughly^ 
 mixed by running a scooter in the shovel furrow. The land 
 was then rebedded. A small scooter was run in the top of 
 the bed, the seed sown thinly, and covered with a board. 
 Planting was delayed some eight or ten days on account of 
 excessive rains. After planting there was a good rain on 
 May 20; it was then somewhat dry until June the 4th. 
 After this the seasons were good until maturity. 
 
 Below is the amounts and kinds of fertilizers used as well 
 as the yields. The plots were (1-7) one-seventh acre. 
 
 
 Fertilizers. 
 
 Amount per 
 Plot. 
 
 Amount per 
 Acre. 
 
 Seed Cotton. 
 
 Plot No. 
 
 Yield 
 per plot. 
 
 <D 
 
 .2 * 
 
 1 
 
 Cotton Seed Meal. . . . 
 
 Acid Phosphate 
 
 Kainit 
 
 25 lbs. 
 30 lbs. 
 121^ lbs. 
 
 175 lbs. 
 
 210 lbs. 
 
 87J^ lbs. 
 
 102 lbs. 
 
 7141bs 
 
 2 
 
 Cotton Seed Meal. . . . 
 
 Acid Phosphate 
 
 Kainit 
 
 25 lbs. 
 30 lbs. 
 28 lbs. 
 
 175 lbs. 
 210 lbs 
 196 lbs. 
 
 122 lbs. 
 
 8541bs 
 
 3 
 
 Cotton Seed Meal. . . . 
 Acid Phosphate 
 
 25 lbs. 
 
 30 lbs. 
 
 175 lbs. 
 210 lbs. 
 
 103 lbs. 
 
 7211bs 
 
 4 
 
 Acid Phosphate 
 
 Kainit 
 
 30 lbs. 
 25 lbs. 
 
 210 lbs. 
 175 lbs. 
 
 103 lbs. 
 
 7211bs 
 
 
 
 
 5 
 
 Cotton Seed Meal. . . . 
 Kainit . . . . 
 
 25 lbs. 
 25 lbs. 
 
 175 lbs. 
 175 lbs. 
 
 92 lbs. 
 
 6441bs 
 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 Cotton Seed Meal 
 
 25 lbs. 
 
 175 lbs. 
 
 78 lbs. 
 
 5461bs 
 
 7 
 
 Acid Phosphate 
 
 30 lbs. 
 
 210 lbs. 
 
 51 lbs. 
 
 3671bs 
 
 8 
 
 Kainit 
 
 25 lbs. 
 
 175 lbs. 
 
 51 lbs. 
 
 3571bs 
 
 9 
 
 
 Z7}4 lbs. 
 
 262)^ lbs. 
 
 45 lbs. 
 
 3151bs 
 
 
 
 
We notice from the table that when fertilizers were used 
 separately, the yield was small with phosphate, with kainit 
 and with lime. Cotton seed meal was the only one of these 
 fertilizers, which, when used alone, was able to produce a 
 moderate yield. This was probably due to the fact, that 
 besides the nitrogen, — in the form of ammonia, — which 
 gives the greater part of the value to cotton seed meal, it 
 also contains small quanties of phosphoric acid and potash. 
 
 Acid phosphate was needed by this soil, but in combina- 
 tion with cotton seed meal rather than alone. 
 
 The effects of kainit are not clearly shown by the figures. 
 Plot 1 with 87 i pounds of kainit in addition to acid phos- 
 phate and cotton seed meal was no more productive than 
 plot 3, where no kainit was used ; but plot 2 with 196 
 pounds of kainit made a better yield than plot 3, where 
 kainit was omitted. 
 
 Notes on Terracing. 
 
 In 1890, forty acres of worn-out upland was purchased 
 near Abbeville ; to be used as the Experiment Station Farm 
 of the Southeast Alabama Agricultural School. There 
 were numerous gullies or the land and some parts of it 
 seemed almost beyond reclamation; however it was terraced, 
 and the gullies filled, and a vigorous effort made to get the 
 land in shape for experiments. After one or two years 
 of attention the land was suflSoiently improved to grow any 
 of the crops, ordinarily grown on our Southern farms. 
 And it is now considered fair upland. 
 
 To do the work of terracing well ; it is necessary to have 
 an accurate level of same form to insure having all points 
 of the terrace on the same level. One form is a home- 
 made contrivance, which is made by putting three pieces of 
 timber, say one by three inches in the form of a capital A, 
 with a plumb bob suspended from the top angle, where the 
 two legs meet. The cross bar is fastened to the legs at 
 equal distances from the top. To get the center (0 point) 
 of the cross bar, fasten the two legs together and set them 
 up on a floor which is shown to be level by a carpenters 
 
6 
 
 level ; drop the plumb line, from the top angle, and mark 
 the point on the cross beam where it crosses. This com- 
 pletes the making of the instrument. In the field when- 
 ever the string passes over this point the two legs rest on 
 points which are on the same level. Instead of the plumb 
 bob, a spirit level may be attached to the cross bar which 
 serves equally as well. 
 
 Below is a cut of the terrace level which has just been 
 described. 
 
 This form is sometimes known as a "stepping jack," 
 because in actual work, one leg is placed in front of the 
 other alternately. 
 
 The best instruments for this work however may be 
 bought in the markets. One of these is made by W. C. 
 Holmes, 12 N. Forsyth Street, Atlanta, Ga., which does 
 very satisfactory work and can be bought for $5.00. 
 
Another form consists of a telescope made for reading 
 at long and short distances, with a spirit level attached to a 
 metallic base. The level can be placed in the proper posi- 
 tion, by means of set screws. This instrument is mounted 
 on a three legged frame. "When the level is in position, 
 place the rod on a spot which will form a part of the 
 terrace ; raise or lower the target on the red (a rod or white 
 string tied around the rod will do) until it gets on a level 
 with the line of sight. Do not move the target on the rod 
 any more during the operation. Move the stake fifteen 
 steps, and carry up or down the hill until the point is on 
 the same level as the instrument, where the target will be 
 in the line of sight. Continue this until the terrace is com- 
 pleted, placing a stake, or some mark at the points desig- 
 nated by the rod. "When one terrace is laid off it will often 
 be unnecessary to move the instrument for the next one 
 below, but simply to move the target three -feet up the 
 staff, if the work was begun at the top of the slope, as 
 generally it should be. Three feet is the usual fall be- 
 tween each two terraces ; but on steep hillsides four feet 
 may be used. 
 
 Terraces should be laid off, by running two furrows 
 along the line of stakes with a turn plow throwing the 
 furrows together on a narrow unbroken strip of land. 
 Then make a somewhat low, yet firm embankment of earth, 
 especially where water is accustomed to run in a channel, 
 this can be done with hoes. Logs, brush and trash of all 
 kinds should never be thrown in the line of a terrace, as 
 their advantage is merely temporary. They eventually 
 decay leaving dangerous holes in the embankment for the 
 passage of water. Gullies that have old runs should never 
 be allowed to remain, but should be filled by throwing 
 straw and leaves, and plowing along the banks, — with the 
 gully, — and then dragging the dirt into them. Sometimes, 
 occasional strong dams will be necessary. A gully filled 
 not only adds to the amount of cultivable land, but it per- 
 
8 
 
 mits longer rows and hence saves much of the time con- 
 sumed in turning, while plowing shore rows. 
 
 The object of terracing is to prevent washing. This 
 is most completely done by transforming the hillsides and 
 slopes into a series of planes rising successively above 
 each other like steps. Such complete work is seldom done, 
 because it requires hill-side or swivel plows, which are com- 
 paratively expensive. These plows throw all the dirt down 
 the hill. Instead of this plan most farmers rely on low 
 firm embankments as the sole method to control the 
 water that falls on the land. 
 
 It is sometimes necessary to run a hill-side ditch around 
 the top of the field to prevent water that has fallen above 
 the field, from sweeping over it. Some advantages of 
 terraces over the exclusive dependence on hill-side 
 ditches are the following; — (I.) Terraces can be used to 
 equal advantage on uncultivated pasture lands as on cul- 
 tivated lands ; while hill-side ditches overflow where paths 
 cross them. And in addition they scour out deep gul- 
 lies, if not looked after very carefully. (2.) Terraces 
 do not throw floods of water into the lowlands, causing 
 over-flows of drains, as in the case of hill-side ditches, 
 but absorb a great deal, and cause the rest to flow off in a 
 thin sheet, at a slow rate. (3.) They do not transport so 
 much of the soil from the top to the bottom of the slope. 
 (4.) The chemical compounds which are formed in the 
 soil from the action of lime, and by the process of nitri- 
 fication are more liable to remain in the land when ter- 
 races are used. (5.) I am quite sure that the land is 
 kept in a better condition mechanically, as it remains 
 moist longer after rains. Terraces offer a means of pre- 
 venting concentration of water ; the smaller the volume, 
 the slower the flow. 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of tiiis book is in 
 tine Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924003372855 
 
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