THE COTTON PLANT.. ..ITS HISTORY AND USES. 



( Ooncluded from page 223.^ 



In 18-10, at their instance, eight specimens of 

 the soils of Edisto Island were analyzed by Pro- 

 fessor Shepard.* The report of tlie Committee 

 to whom was refeired the valuable communica- 

 tion of that skilUul chemist, is replete with highly 

 useful matter, especially in relation to mauures.t 

 Full information on the otlier subject may shortly 

 be expected from a very intelligent quarter. 

 At the Agricultural Convention held at Monti- 

 cello. Fairiield, on the 5th of July la.st, it was 

 resolved " to request the Agricultural Societies 

 of the State to unite in a contribution to procure 

 a perfect aualj'sis of the long and short staple 

 Cotton stalk, seed, and lint, in the perfect state, 

 and also when affected bj' disease." When 

 this is done, a great object will have been at- 

 tained. The planter, aided by the knowledge on 

 other points equally important to be acquired, 

 will no longer tread the path of doubt and uu- 

 cerlaiuty. The materials for restoring the con- 

 stitution of the soil, and imparting health and 

 vigor to the Cotton plant, have long hJfen in his 

 po.ssession, but for the first time he will then 

 know how to use them, and where necessary, 

 how, and in what proportions, to unite them. 



The Sea-Island Cotton fibre was analyzed in 

 England, in 1825, by one well qualified for the 

 task. 100 parts of the ashes, says Dr. Ure, 

 yielded as follows : 



1. Matter soluble in water, sixty-four parts, consist- 

 ing of 



Carbonate of potash 44.8 



Muriate of potash 9.9 



t- ulphate of potash 9.3 



2. Matter insoluble in veater, 



Phosphate of lime 9.0 



("arbonate of lirae 10.6 



Phosphate of magnesia 8 4 



Peroxide of iron 3.0 



Alumina a trace, and loss 5.0 



100.0 

 " These results," remarks the analj-zer. " seem 

 to throw considerable light on the predilectiozi 

 of the Cotton plant lor the neighborhood of the 

 sea, which supplies plentifully the saline sub- 

 stances requisite to the perfect development and 

 constitution of its woolly fniit. It may hence be 

 inferred, that the compost or manure best fitted 

 for Cotton j)lantations should contain neutro- 

 ealine matter with alkaline, calcareous, and 

 magnesian base.s. The pre.scnce of magnesia 

 deserves notice, as it indicates marine food." 



The subject of a rotation of crops is of recent 

 interest. It was of cour.se unmooted by the 

 first cultivators of our great staple. In Georgia, 

 a few planters have of late grown Cotton on 

 every alteniate ridge with corn occupying the 

 intermediate ones. ^Vhen the field is again 

 planted, the Cotton rows are substituted for the 

 corn rows, and those of the latter ibr the former. 

 This plan might be pursued with benefit, except 

 on the sea-board, where tlie liigh Ught lands, 



' See note C in the Appendix. — Southern Cabinet, 

 vol. i. p. 405. 

 t Southern Cabinet, vol. i. p. 449. 



(587) 



whicn are limited in quantity, and unfit for com, 

 are alone considered safe for Cotton. In a small 

 way, potatoes,* rest,t and Cotton, or spring 

 peas,}: as a crop in lieu of potatoeis, designedly 

 cultivated for the ottal, rather than the product, 

 is a good rotation. On this subject there are 

 two theories : — 1st. That while the continuous 

 cultivation of any one crop deprives the soil of 

 the specific aliment essential to its fructification, 

 another plant, requiring some other food, may 

 be advantageously substituted. 2d. The cele- 

 brated chemist, De Caiidolle, says, " Of the nu- 

 triment which vegetables receive and digest, 

 they exude an inconsumable or innutritive por- 

 tion by tlieir roots. This excrementitious mat- 

 ter is .supposed to unfit or poi.son the soil for a 

 second crop of the same kind, until it is either 

 consumed or neutralized by cultivation." May 

 not this be the true reason why it is so difBcuk 

 to get a good stand on land planted for three or 

 more consecutive years. As soon as the plants 

 recover from their sickly state, and this takes 

 place when the poisonous substance discharged 

 from their roots is destroyed by tillage, the crop 

 grows as vigorously, and the prodtict is usually 

 as good as rested grounds, where the same 

 amount and kind of artificial nourishment have 

 been applied. M. Olivier, member of the Insti- 

 tute of France, in describing the insects which 

 devour the upper part of the roots of farinace- 

 ous plants, and which multiply to infinity, where 

 the same soil presents to them, for years in suc- 

 cession, plants of the same or of similar kinds, 

 says, " these insects perish as often as vegeta- 

 bles are cultivated which cannot serve for food 

 for their larvas." Edmund RufRn, in the Farm- 

 er's Register, advances a similar po.stulate — 

 " Every plant," he remarks, '-is .subject to be 

 preyed on by its own peculiar tribes of insects, 

 which are continued to be supplied by their 

 proper food, and favored by the siill continuing 

 circumstances of the field, and, therefore, are in- 

 creased continually in numbers, and in their 

 destructive ravages, as long as llie crop which 

 fed them, and the circumstances which favored 

 them, remain unchanged ; and that these insects 

 must be dcstroj-cd or greatly reduced in their 

 numbers and power of mischief by a total 

 change of the growth, and of the treatment and 

 condition of the field. ^ These opinions, from 

 high authorities, are well entitled to the atten- 

 tive cou.sideration of our planter.?. As the al- 

 ternating sj-stem in relation to the successful 

 culture of other crops is admitted to be neces- 

 sary, its applicability to the Cotton husbandry 

 cannot rea.sonably be doubted. 



* Allowing one year to intervene. Cotton is always 

 advantiiceously giown on potato land, which, if as- 

 sisted by salt mud, the benetit to the crop will be 

 still more of a decided chaiacter. 



t Ungi-azed. 



X The summer crop keeps the gi-ound bai-e of 

 vegetable inattt;r. The other is succeeded by a 

 heavy yield of crop gras.s. 



§ Fanner's Register, vol. -vii. p. C09. 



