204 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



and the plants multiplied. If the seed is at first covered 

 more than two inches, it will not feel the influence of the 

 sun, and will not vegetate later in the season ; that is, in 

 April. You must give from three to four inches of covering 

 to preserve the moisture, or you fail from an opposite cause, 

 the wind and sun drying the soil too much for vegetation. 

 In most countries, after sowing the seed, the roller is applied ; 

 but in cotton-planting, in our ridge-husbandry, the foot in 

 covering the seed and pressing down the earth, well supplies 

 its place. 



Preparing the land. Early in February, clean the 

 rested fields, and either burn off the fennel-weeds and grass 

 of the previous year, or list them in at five feet apart, to 

 serve as the base of the future ridges or bed. There is much 

 difference of opinion upon the subject of burning or listing 

 in. I am inclined to take the first opinion, believing that 

 the light dressing of ashes the field receives from burning 

 off, is more beneficial to the soil than the decay of the vege- 

 table matter, and renders it less liable to produce what is a 

 growing evil, the rftst ; a species of blight, much resembling 

 the rust or blight upon wheat, and which takes place about 

 the same period, just as the plant is putting out, and pre- 

 paring to ripen its fruit. For many years it has been the 

 practice, among experienced planters, to divide the enclosed 

 fields into two portions ; the one at rest, the other in culture. 



Ridging. The land being listed in short lines across the 

 entire field, at five feet apart, the operation of ridging is com- 

 menced about the first of March. The ridges occupy the 

 entire surface, the foot of one ridge commencing where the 

 other ends, and rising about eight inches above the natural 

 level of the land, thus presenting a surface almost as smooth, 

 and almost as deeply worked, as a garden-bed. This is done 

 but a few days ahead of the planting, and the ridge is from 

 two to two and a half feet broad at top ; it is then trenched 

 on the upper surface with the hoe, six inches wide, and from 

 three to six inches deep, depending upon the period of 

 planting. V 



Quantity of seed per acre. A bushel of seed is gener- 

 ally sown to the acre, I believe half a bushel is better ; for 

 where the evil comes, whether the worm, wind, drought, or 

 wet, there is no security in the many, but where they come up 

 thin, they soon grow out of the way of injury. 



After-culture. The cultivation of Sea-Island cotton is 

 carried on by the hand-hoe, and the quantity is always Hm- 



