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ment of the way in which this soil is usually cultivated, which may 

 easily be done in a few paragraphs. 



As early in the winter as the weather is favourable and the con- 

 dition of the ground suitable, i. e. when not too wet*, the preparation 

 for the crop commences by "bedding" the land. This is done by 

 running a narrow plough called a " bull-tongue " at regular intervals 

 across the field, the common distance being four feet between the 

 rows. In very rich alluvial land the distance is sometimes five or 

 even six feet, and in thin poor land not more than three feet. Upon 

 the furrow thus produced the ridge or "bed" is made by ploughing 

 to it on either side with a turning plough, called a " Carey" plough, 

 drawn by two mules or horses, until the space between the rows has 

 been ploughed out. The whole field is in this way thrown into 

 ridges, which should run horizontally round any elevated portions 

 of the plantation, so that heavy rains may not wash away the soil. 



When the time for planting arrives aboutthe beginning of April 

 a furrow is run along the top of each ridge by a narrow plough, and 

 in this furrow the cotton seed is pretty thickly strewn by handfulls 

 as the labourer goes along the row. It is then covered with earth 

 by a heavy wooden block, which a mule or horse draws along, so as 

 not only to cover up the seed, but to press the earth firmly upon it. 



If the weather be favourable for the germination of the seed, it 

 comes up in ten days or a fortnight, and soon afterwards the culti- 

 vation commences by thinning out the cotton with hoes, so as to leave 

 but a few stalks together at intervals of eight or ten inches, removing 

 also any grass or weeds which may have grown with the cotton. 

 The space between the rows is at the same time ploughed to make 

 the earth light and mellow, and to destroy grass and weeds. Great 

 skill is shown by trained negroes in the use of the plough and hoe, 

 the former is often run within two inches of the cotton, and the latter 

 used to cut out a weed within an inch or even half an inch, without 

 in either case injuring the cotton itself. The process of working 

 the crop with plough and hoe is continued at intervals of three 

 weeks, and at each time of thus going over the field the cotton is 

 thinned out, until it is brought to a " stand," that is, reduced to single 



* The peculiar condition of the " cane-brake " soil (to which the above remarks 

 apply) intermediate between a dry and a thoroughly wet state, in which alone 

 ploughing can well be carried on, has been noticed in an earlier part of the paper. 



