FARMERS' REGISTER— FARMING IN CAMPBELL. 



123 



dill not vet)'ctatc until the rain of the 25ih of May 

 sollened tlie earth. While cominij^ up, it had to 

 encounter two considerable frosts in ihe nighls of 

 the 15th and 16th of May; owing to the dry state 

 ol" tlie soil, tlie injury was not so severe as a 

 Ivuowleilo'e of the sensitiveness of tlie plant in- 

 duced me to expect. On very h'ght ridges, some 

 damage was sustained: this was also the case on 

 moist land. It was fortunate for the cotton farmers 

 that no r;vin had been granted to their oft repeated 

 Avishes, as it was the only thing which saved the 

 cotton. In many fields the cotton exhibited black 

 leaves — some of it died, but a great deal recovered 

 — and the rain which descended, caused many 

 seeds to come up which were still in the drill. Yet 

 notwithstanding the cold and dry weather, we have 

 a better stand than usual. The quantity of cotton 

 to be made Avith us depends on the seasons, and 

 visitations to which it is frequently subject. One 

 of those visitations I will describe: it is called the 

 rust, from its appearance, audits faculty ibr impart- 

 ing a stain to any thing white Avhich comes in con- 

 fact with it. GroAving cotton of all sizes is sub- 

 ject to its attacks. It is caused by an insect Avhii^h 

 fastens on the leaves, extracts the sap of the stalk, 

 destroy its vitality, and forces the bolls to open be- 

 flire they are matured. It is confined to no particular 

 kind of soil, and generally spreads in a circular form 

 imtil it covers a large portion of the field. Various 

 remedies have been essayed in vain to arrest its 

 progress — fat meat dragged over the cotton, brim- 

 stone matches burnt under it, and healthy stalks 

 pulled up all around to prevent its being in contact 

 with the otlrcr cotton — but none have succeeded. 



I must avail myself of the present opportunity 

 io place or record some fiicts respecting the small 

 .injury inflicted on cotton by inundation from river 

 Avater. In May 1833, we had a tremendous freshet 

 in the Roanoke which inundated some of our lands 

 Avliich had enjoyed a total exemption from such 

 rude lavations for several years. A large portion 

 of my cotton was completely immersed in water — 

 some to the depth of three ieet^ After the sub- 

 f;iding of the flood, in many places the grass was 

 killed and the cotton was left alive, though much 

 svashed. From one portion of my field the water 

 retreated slowly, and to all ajijiearances left the 

 grass and cotton both dead, and in a ikw days its 

 leaves dropped oft', leaving the stalk still standing. 

 I intended to plough and plant tins piece in corn; 

 hut a fortnight after the freshet when I was about 

 1o plougli it u]), I observed that the Ixuhvas still 

 alive, and for the sake of experiment I left it un- 

 touched. Some time in July new leaves had come 

 out, and I hoed it for the first time: it had been 

 sided with the plough before the freshet. After 

 this cleansing (for it was extremely foul) it grew 

 oH" rapidl}', and at the end of the season equalled 

 the other cotton in size; but it had been neglected 

 too long, ami manj^ of the bolls were cut off bj^ 

 the frost. From this, Ave may entertain some 

 hopes of cotton, so long as the bud remains unin- 

 jured. 



This commvmication should end Iiere, but I am 

 desirous of bringing to the notice of cotton farm- 

 ers the advantages to be derived fi'om [)lantingtlie 

 "petty gulf" seed. These are brought from the 

 south, and talce their name from a cotton groAving 

 district near the Mississippi, which produces them. 

 The stalks grow large in land adapted to cotton, 

 .and bear more than ordinary cotton. The cotton 



is white and silky, Avith a superior staple. The 

 bolls open \-ery Avidely, and the cotton awaits the 

 slight pull of die laborer Avith impatience. From 

 the ease Avith which it is i)Iuclced from the boll, a 

 hand may pick one-l()urlh more during the day 

 than he can in the conunon cotton, and do this 

 Avith infinitely more ease. It is more liable to suf- 

 fer from Avind and rain, and requires to be picked 

 OA^er more frequently: yet notAvithstanding its lia- 

 bility to drop out, still it AA'ill yield more than the 

 common cotton, and from its appearance Avill un- 

 doubtedly command a more ready sale and higher 

 prices. It blossoms and matures as .soon as the 

 other cotton. As an evidence of the value in 

 AAdiich it is held by those Avho can easily procure 

 the seed, many of the planters of Red ri\'er are in 

 the habit of receiving amiual supplies to plant 

 their crops. 



On the subject of cotton I have Avritten more 

 Avith a wish to ascertain the views of others, than 

 Avith the expectation of imparting any thing neAV. 



The importance of manuring begins to be un- 

 derstood liere; and though destitute of marl, yet 

 Ave can ett'ect a cliange in the face of the country 

 by sowing small grain, resting our fields, and apply- 

 ing the manure accumulated in our fami pens. So 

 far, most of the iann pen manure is applied to our 

 cotton land in the drill. On some of our lixrras 

 Ave liaA'e found gama grass — as yet, few have 

 turned their attention to it; it is a plant of rapid 

 groAvth, and is eaten AAdth aA-idity by the stock that 

 have access to it. When improperly located it is 

 difficult to be destroyed, and a partial grubbing 

 merely divides the large bunches and sets them 

 out. 



^y. w. p. 



STATE OF FARMIIVG IN CAMTBELL COUIVTY. 



To the Editor of tlic Fanners' Register. 



* * * * * You request your sub- 

 scribers to communicate sny inlbrmation about the 

 seasons, crops, mode of cultivation in those parts 

 of the country where they respcctiA'ely reside. 

 This part of the state, as you probably are aAvare^ 

 is entirely given up to tobacco making, and very 

 iiiw of us, and those very recently, haA^e de\'oted 

 any attention whate\'er, to the imjirovement of 

 land. In the immediate neighborhood, in Avhich 

 I reside, a strong indisposition is felt to abandon the 

 old mode of cultivation — to relinquish present for 

 permanent future [irofit. Our lands are not natu- 

 rally fertile, and cloA'er, and plaster are considered 

 too costly means for giving them fertility. The 

 price of the latter is about double what it is in 

 Richmond, in consequence of the enormous freight, 

 upon so heavy an article. We are Avithout the 

 marl banks, Avhich . furnish so abundant, and so 

 rich a manure in your tide-Avater country, or in- 

 deed, any kinds of manure except Avhat is fur- 

 nished by our flirm-pens and forests, and which 

 are not common to this, Avith e\'ery other portion 

 of the state. We are not howcA-er, I hope, Avith- 

 out some adA-antages already knoAvn, and shall 

 find, Avhen Ave turn our attention to the subject, 

 that Ave enjoy others hitherto undiscoA'ered. We 

 liave yet a good deal of fresh land, and forest; and 

 our soil although not v^ery fertile, is peculiarly 

 adapted to Avheat, a crop, Avhich I believe all our 

 farmers are endeavoring to increase, Avhile others 

 arc diminished. Considerable crops of it are now 



