﻿AGRICULTURE. 
  151 
  

  

  ment 
  contrived 
  for 
  the 
  purpose, 
  and 
  consisting 
  of 
  a 
  

   suitably 
  fashioned 
  block 
  preceded 
  by 
  a 
  coulter. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  furrow 
  made 
  by 
  the 
  opener, 
  the 
  cotton 
  seed 
  

   are 
  sown 
  by 
  the 
  women 
  from 
  a 
  quantity 
  carried 
  in 
  the 
  

   apron, 
  gathered 
  together 
  at 
  the 
  lower 
  end, 
  and 
  held 
  by 
  

   the 
  left 
  hand 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  form 
  a 
  sack 
  which 
  is 
  replenished 
  

   from 
  time 
  to 
  time 
  from 
  piles 
  of 
  seed 
  previously 
  deposited 
  

   in 
  the 
  field 
  at 
  convenient 
  distances. 
  The 
  sowing 
  is 
  done 
  

   adroitly 
  at 
  a 
  brisk 
  pace 
  by 
  a 
  vertical 
  or 
  downward 
  move- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  the 
  arm, 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  seed 
  are 
  strewn 
  along 
  

   the 
  row 
  several 
  feet 
  at 
  each 
  cast 
  of 
  the 
  hand, 
  and 
  with 
  

   the 
  requisite 
  regularity. 
  A 
  light 
  harrow 
  follows, 
  to 
  the 
  

   hinder 
  part 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  frequently 
  attached 
  a 
  small 
  

   roller, 
  which 
  smooths 
  down 
  and 
  compresses 
  the 
  loose 
  soil 
  

   over 
  the 
  seed. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  cotton 
  has 
  come 
  up, 
  and 
  grown 
  to 
  the 
  

   height 
  of 
  a 
  few 
  inches, 
  in 
  a 
  week 
  or 
  ten 
  days 
  it 
  begins 
  

   to 
  require 
  thinning 
  out 
  and 
  scraping. 
  This 
  was 
  formerly 
  

   done 
  almost 
  entirely 
  by 
  the 
  hoe, 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  grass 
  and 
  

   cotton 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  ridge 
  were 
  scraped 
  away, 
  and 
  

   the 
  cotton 
  hloched 
  out 
  in 
  the 
  row 
  by 
  cutting 
  it 
  out 
  to 
  the 
  

   width 
  of 
  the 
  hoe 
  or 
  about 
  twelve 
  or 
  fourteen 
  inches. 
  It 
  

   is 
  now 
  performed 
  by 
  first 
  running 
  a 
  bar-shear 
  plough 
  

   lightly 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  row, 
  and 
  barring 
  off, 
  as 
  it 
  

   is 
  called, 
  and 
  throwing 
  the 
  dirt 
  from 
  the 
  plant. 
  The 
  

   process 
  also 
  is 
  greatly 
  facilitated 
  by 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  a 
  properly 
  

   constructed 
  scraper, 
  an 
  implement 
  of 
  modern 
  and 
  not 
  

   yet 
  of 
  universal, 
  if 
  of 
  general 
  use, 
  which 
  acts 
  well, 
  and 
  

   saves 
  a 
  great 
  amount 
  of 
  labor 
  to 
  the 
  hoe 
  hands. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  desirable 
  to 
  follow 
  this 
  operation 
  with 
  as 
  little 
  

   delay 
  as 
  practicable, 
  the 
  ploughs 
  on 
  this 
  occasion 
  giving 
  

   an 
  inverted 
  direction 
  to 
  the 
  soil, 
  and 
  throwing 
  it 
  back 
  

   to 
  the 
  plant 
  with 
  the 
  mould-board 
  — 
  a 
  process 
  which 
  is 
  

   termed 
  dirting 
  or 
  moulding 
  the 
  cotton. 
  The 
  hoes 
  follow 
  

  

  