202 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



passing through the cotton has a tendencjr to open out to 

 sun and air, the limbs that have interlocked across the rows, 

 and hastens the early opening. On low grounds, especially, 

 much loss is incurred in some seasons from the want of the 

 sun to cause an expansion of the fibre within the boll, so as 

 to cause it to open. The boll is composed of five divisions, 

 in each of which there is a parcel of cotton wool surround- 

 ing each seed, there being several in each J,ock of cotton. 

 When green, these fibres lie close to the seed, and as it ri- 

 pens, the fibres become elastic, the boll becoming hard and 

 brownish. The Sea Island has only three divisions, as also 

 the Egyptian, which is only the Sea Island of the best va- 

 riety, with black seed, smooth, and a yellowish tuft of fibres 

 on the small end ; they are both from Pernambuco. Some 

 of the cotton we plant has only four divisions, but I think 

 five generally. 



There is a peculiar art < ^ gathering the cotton from the 

 boll, which can only be acquired by practice ; many gather 

 equally fast with either hand. The left hand seizes the stem 

 near the open boll, or the boll between the two middle fin- 

 gers, the palm of the hand up ; the fingers of the right hand 

 are inserted tolerably low down in the boll, a finger on each 

 lock of cotton ; then, as the fingers grasp it, there is a slight 

 twisting motion, and a quick pull, which, if done well, will 

 extract the contents. 



Cotton should be gathered from the field as clean as 

 possible, taken to the scaffolds and dried until the seed will 

 crack when pressed between the teeth, not crush or mash, 

 but crack with some noise. It should be frequently turned 

 over and stirred, and all the trash and rotten pods taken out, 

 while this is done, to insure its drying earlier. 



If seeds are wanted for planting, gin the cotton imme- 

 diately, and spread the seed over the floor some five inches 

 thick, until perfectly dry. If the cotton-seed be not wanted, 

 pack the seed-cotton away in the house, to remain until a 

 gentle heat is discovered, or until sufficient for ginning. 

 After it has become heated, until there is a sensible feeling 

 of warmth to the hand, and it looks as if pressed together, 

 open and scatter to cool. This cotton will gin faster, have 

 a softer feel, is not so brittle, therefore not so liable to break 

 by rapidity of gin, and has a creamy color ; the wool has 

 imbibed a part of the oil that has exuded by the warmth of 

 seed, and is in fact restored to the original color. I have 

 known of a number of sales made of this description of cot- 



