THE FAUMElliS' KEUISTEK. 



599 



ches in '.he drill — one plant in a place. To make 

 a large crop, there must be an abuiiiJani sui)|)ly ol' 

 stalks. When the weather is too vvei to |)i;iiii, 

 lime may be ol'ien saved, by drop|)injr the seed, 

 but not covering until the ground is drier. 1 1, 

 however, it cannot be covered in three or lour days, 

 il is time lost, lor ii must be replanted. Always 

 cover lightly, under any circumstances. And 

 always plant on something ol' a bed, m any land. 

 It keeps the cotton drier and aflords mure air 

 when it is young. It enables yon to get at it in 

 working. JBy increasing the surlijce, it absorbs 

 more moisture, it' it is too dry ; and gives out 

 more il' it ia too wet, and in both cases gives you 

 the advantages of a vertical sun, on the tap-root, 

 which hastens the maturity of the boils — a vast 

 desideratum in our climate. On this account the 

 i^ed can hardly be drawn too high at the last hoe- 

 ing, in any season. 



in cultivating cotton, whether with the plough 

 or hoe the chiel object is to keep down the grass, 

 which is its greatest antagonist, bringing all, or 

 almost all other evils in its train. It is not so es- 

 sential in the opinion of your committee, to keep 

 the ground stirred, as is generally supposed, and 

 by no means requisite to stir it deep — at all events 

 not in our light soil. Il it be well prepared, deep 

 ploughing is not only unnecessary for any of our 

 crops, but often highly injurious lo them, while it 

 rapidly exhausts the land, by turning it up fresh, 

 under a burning sun. JVluch unnecessary pains is 

 usually taken, and lime lost, to work the plant in 

 a particular way, under the supposition that it is a 

 peculiarly delicate one. If il survives its infancy, 

 lew plants are hardier. It is often Ibund to reach 

 maturity in the alleys, where the mules walk, with 

 the ploughs following and the laborer tramps back- 

 wards and forwards. Sometimes it. will bear fruit 

 in turn-rows used frequently tor wagons, while it 

 really seems to derive benefit frotn being bitten 

 down almost to the ground by animals — it will 

 bear almost any usage, better than it will that 

 mortal enemy — grass. 



The most critical operation in working cotion 

 is thinning. It should be done with great care, 

 and if early, with the hand. In a dry year, it 

 cannot be done too soon afier the plant i?- u|i. In 

 a wet one, it may be profitably delayed, until it 

 has begun to form, or later everi. On the experi- 

 ence, observation, and judgment of thn planter, in 

 this matter, every thing dejiends, as each year 

 brings its own rules with it. Where circum- 

 stances are favorable, early thinning is of course the 

 best. Some planters always top their cotton. 

 Others never do. Your committee are of opinion, 

 that it seldom or never does harm, to do so. But 

 whether it is worth the trouble, is adoubtlLiI ques- 

 tion. Those who have no clearings, or other 

 important employment for their hands, would lose 

 nothing, by devoting three or four days to this 

 operation early in August. Those pressed for 

 time, might gain by omitting it. 



Too much pains cannot be . taken in preparing 

 cotton for market, for they are all well remunerat- 

 ed by the additional price. The first thing to be 

 attended to is to have it gathered free of trash. 

 With a little care, wonders can be effected in this 

 way ; and hands with a short training, will pick 

 almost if not quite as much without trash as with 

 it. It should never be gathered when wet. And 

 here it may not be out of place to remark, that one 



of the very best sanatory rules of a plantation i?, 

 never belore frost to send out your hands to pick, 

 until ihedevv has nearly or quite disapi)eared. Il 

 saves time in the long run, as well as health and 

 life. Cotion should never be ginned, until the seed 

 are so dry, as to crack between the teeth. II' 

 damp, it is pielerable to dry il in the shade, as the 

 sun extracts the oil and injures the staple. If by 

 accident, however, it gets wet, there is no alterna- 

 tive but 10 put it on the scaHold. It is of great 

 importance to sort the cotton, carelully, into its 

 several qualities, in ginning and packing, lor by 

 mixing all kinds together, tlie average of the price 

 IS certainly lowered. A lew old hands, or very 

 young ones, breeding women, sucklers, and inva- 

 lids, will earn excellent wages in a gin house, at 

 this occupation. Neat packing is of no small im- 

 portance, in the sale of cotton, and no little taste 

 may be displayed, in making the packages. The 

 advantage of square bags, is universally known, 

 and the committee are astonished that any other 

 should ever be made now. 



Every kind of manure is valuable for cotton. 

 Every kind of compost, green crops turned in, cot- 

 ton seed, and even naked leaves lisied, and le/t 

 to rot, improves this crop. When planted on cot- 

 ton seed, and sometimes on strong stable manure, 

 It is more difficult lo retain a stand, owing proba- 

 bly to the oversumulus of these manures. So, on 

 leaves, unless well rotted, the cotion will long 

 continue to die, in consequence of the leaves 

 decaying away and exposing the root too much to 

 the sun and rain. These difficulties may be avoid- 

 ed, by a little pains, and by no means justily ihe 

 opinion entertained by some, that cotton should 

 never be planted on fresh manured land. The 

 only question is, the cost of the manure. A great 

 deal may be made on every plantation, without 

 much trouble or expense, by keeping the stables 

 and stable-yard, hog and cow pens, well supplied 

 wiih leaves and straw. And also from pens of 

 corn-cobs, sweepings Irom negro and fowl-house 

 yard, and the rank weeds that spring up about 

 ihein, collected together and left to rot. When- 

 ever the business is carried further, and a regular 

 lorce detached, to make manure, at all seasons, 

 and eniirely left out from the crop, it becomes the 

 owner to enter into a close calculation ol'lhe cost 

 and profits. In many agricultural operations, such 

 a course, the experience of all countries has 

 proved tobe profitable, but these operations partake 

 more of the liArming and gardening, than planting 

 character, and whether the same method will do 

 lor the extensive planting of short staple cotton, 

 remains, in the opinion of your committee, yet to 

 be tested. If any thing like an average of past 

 prices can be mainiamed, it is certain that more 

 can be made by planting largely, than by making 

 manure as a crop. If, however, prices continue 

 lo lall, and the growing of coiton be confined to a 

 lew rich spois — those suscepiible of high manur- 

 ing — then our whole system must be changed, our 

 crops must be curtailed, and staple-labor losing- 

 its past value, the comparative profit of a cotton 

 and manure crop will preponderate in favor of the 

 latter. As a substitute for manuring on a large 

 scale, resting and rotation of crops is resorted to. 

 In our light level land, the practice of resting can- 

 not be loo highly recommended, and by a judici- 

 ous course — such as resting two, and planting 

 two, or at most three years, our lands may not on- 



