﻿150 
  AGRICULTURE. 
  

  

  MODE 
  OF 
  PLANTING, 
  CULTIVATING, 
  AND 
  GATHERING 
  THE 
  COTTON 
  CROP. 
  

  

  There 
  must 
  ever 
  be 
  some 
  diversity 
  of 
  practice, 
  in 
  the 
  

   details 
  of 
  all 
  agricultural 
  operations. 
  The 
  character 
  

   and 
  situation 
  of 
  the 
  land, 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  soil, 
  the 
  

   variations 
  of 
  the 
  seasons, 
  will 
  influence 
  these 
  more 
  or 
  

   less. 
  The 
  following 
  details, 
  therefore, 
  must 
  be 
  received 
  

   as 
  descriptive 
  of 
  the 
  general 
  practice 
  under 
  the 
  most 
  

   usual 
  combination 
  of 
  circumstances. 
  

  

  We 
  will 
  suppose 
  that 
  the 
  land 
  has 
  been 
  previously 
  

   cultivated 
  in 
  cotton, 
  and 
  has 
  been 
  already 
  laid 
  off 
  and 
  

   circled 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  undulations 
  of 
  the 
  surface, 
  at 
  

   distances 
  suited 
  to 
  the 
  quality 
  and 
  capacity 
  of 
  the 
  soil. 
  

   The 
  cotton 
  stalk 
  of 
  the 
  previous 
  year 
  having 
  become 
  

   sufiiciently 
  decayed 
  and 
  brittle, 
  is 
  first 
  beaten 
  down 
  and 
  

   broken 
  to 
  pieces, 
  and 
  left 
  strewn 
  upon 
  the 
  ground. 
  This 
  

   is 
  done 
  by 
  the 
  women 
  and 
  the 
  younger 
  hands, 
  provided 
  

   with 
  stout 
  sticks 
  or 
  clubs 
  suited 
  to 
  the 
  purpose. 
  

  

  Between 
  the 
  rows 
  of 
  the 
  previous 
  year, 
  a 
  furrow 
  is 
  

   now 
  run, 
  with 
  a 
  bar-shear 
  plough 
  without 
  a 
  coulter, 
  and 
  

   two 
  other 
  furrows 
  are 
  lapped 
  upon 
  it. 
  In 
  this 
  state, 
  it 
  

   remains 
  until 
  all 
  the 
  ground 
  is 
  gone 
  over, 
  and 
  the 
  sea- 
  

   son 
  for 
  planting 
  approaches. 
  Two 
  or 
  more 
  furrows, 
  

   according 
  to 
  the 
  width 
  of 
  the 
  row, 
  are 
  then 
  thrown 
  up 
  

   on 
  both 
  sides 
  to 
  the 
  previous 
  ridge, 
  and 
  the 
  middles 
  are 
  

   thus 
  broken 
  up. 
  

  

  So 
  far, 
  the 
  work 
  has 
  been 
  done 
  with 
  large 
  two-horse 
  

   ploughs 
  suited 
  to 
  breaking 
  up 
  the 
  hard 
  ground. 
  In 
  the 
  

   subsequent 
  cultivation, 
  a 
  lighter 
  one-horse 
  plough 
  is 
  

   used. 
  Over 
  the 
  bed 
  or 
  ridge 
  thus 
  formed, 
  if 
  the 
  rough 
  

   and 
  lumpy 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  ground 
  requires 
  it, 
  an 
  iron 
  

   toothed 
  harrow 
  is 
  drawn, 
  and 
  the 
  ridge 
  is 
  si^lit 
  or 
  opened 
  

   by 
  a 
  small 
  plough, 
  or 
  more 
  usually 
  by 
  a 
  lighter 
  imple- 
  

  

  