VALLEY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 331 



vote was taken uiid resulted as follows: Dr. A. L. Small, 22: Milo 

 Barnard, 8; 0. W. Barnard, 1; blank, 2. Dr. Small was declared 

 elected. 



0. W. Barnard and Hon. Wni. S. Hawker were nominated for 

 Vice-Presidents and the Secretary instructed to cast the unanimous 

 vote of the Society for them. 



Len. Small nominated H. S. Bloom for Secretary, and on motion 

 the ballot of the Society was cast for Mr. Bloom. 



H. S. Bloom nominated Mary J. Barnard for Treasurer, who was 

 also elected unanimously. 



Several nominations were made for Librarian, and a vote was 

 taken which resulted in the election of Mrs. G, Decker. 



Messrs. A. H. Burt. K. A. Lane and Mrs. E. Powell were elected 

 members of the Executive Committee. 



On motion of L. E. Cunningham the President and Secretary 

 were instructed to select places and essayists for the Society's meet- 

 ings during the coming year. 



COTTON GROAVTH. 



15 Y MRS. A. K. SANASAK. 



The greatest agricultural itursuit in the Southern States is the 

 culture of cotton. Any one who has traveled through the Southern 

 States has seen fields after fields, ami can attest that there is pre- 

 sented to the eye an aspect eipiah^d l)y very few other vegetations. 

 It grows from seed planted in May or dune. It is best adapted to 

 sandy soils, and is planted in hills, lik? potatoes, about one ami one- 

 half feet apart. 



It refpiires two or three weeks after jilanting before it will 

 sprout; it is then cultivated, like corn or potatoes, aud every weed 

 exterminated. 



It blossoms as it reaches a (•ou])le of feet from the ground, bear- 

 ing large flowers, similar to a pink rose. When the petals droj) olf 

 a small ball remains, which is the elementary stage of growth of the 

 cotton ball. 



Cotton continues to blossom and ripen without cessation until 

 frost. On the same cotton stalks we find cotton balls in all stages 

 — some blossoming, some green, some that have reached the re(piired 

 size, and finally some that are ripe enough to pick. 



Cotton ))alls are of a greenish color, and when they have at- 

 tained the si/e of uu egg t^»ey spUt op^u at the top^ exposing the 



