66 FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 



equally injurious to good cultivation, and unpleasant to the 

 eye of those unaccustomed to view such lacuations of our 

 mother earth, but to behold her in her native robe of green, 



Whether the product of cotton can be essentially aug- 

 mented, by the application of common manures, we are not 

 particularly informed; though we have understood, that 

 common salt assists the growth of the crop, when applied 

 to the plants. If this be the case, the method of sending 

 sea- water into the interior, as described under MANURES,, 

 might probably be found advantageous to the crop. 



In regard to the insect that is often so injurious to cotton, 

 we can only say, that if it arrive at the part of the plants 

 where it commits its depredations, by climbing up the 

 stalks, its ascent might probably be prevented by surround- 

 ing each stalk with some repulsive ointment, or matter, as 

 mentioned under INSECTS; but, how well this additional 

 labor would be rewarded, by the saving in the crop, expe- 

 rience alone must determine. 



Let the insect arrive at its place of destination in what- 

 ever way it may, a method of extirpating it is mentioned in 

 the Edinburg Encyclopedia, which the Writer thinks might 

 be pursued to advantage : This is to prepare something 

 similar to an umbrella, the covering being merely of paper, 

 which is to be set over the plants, successively, while a 

 match of burning sulphur is placed underneath. The cover 

 confines the fumes of the sulphur, so that the insects are 

 ejaveloped in it; in which situation the Writer thinks they 

 must perish in a very few minutes; so that one Man, with 

 these means of destruction to the insects, could fumigate a 

 great many plants in a day. 



The Writer makes a calculation how much ground 

 could, in this way, be gone over, by one Hand, in a day; 

 the result of which is, that the expense of the process 

 would not be very considerable. The plan may be well 

 worthy of experiment. 



We imagine that Planters in general will see the propri- 

 ety of relinquishing, in a great measure, the growing of 

 cotton, for other pursuits of agriculture, more profitable, 

 and less calculated to exhaust the soil. Even if cotton be 

 not so great a scourger of the land as many other crops, 

 still it affords no essential return of manure to the earth ; 

 and lands, even if not wholly exhausted, will become tired 

 of bearing too much of one particular growth. 



There is a general disposition in almost every part of the 

 earth \o require changes in the growths which it bears. 

 We see this exemplified even in the forests. Where land 

 becomes divested of its timber, by clearing or otherwise, 

 and is afterwards left untiled, it usually produces a new 

 and .different growth from tha,t which it formerly 



