COTTON. 



until a day or two before I wish to 

 plant, and then break out the entire 

 surface between the rows and the 

 balk ; my reason for so doing is, that 

 the cotton plant grows off faster on a 

 bed of some firmness; the radicle, or 

 future root, will die oftener on a light 

 surface than when on hard earth, if 

 not so hard that it cannot penetrate ; 

 and by breaking out the middle late it 

 leaves the bed fresh, except a narrow- 

 strip on the top. which is cleaned off 

 by planting, which gives the plant an 

 even start with grass and weeds. 



" I begin to plant during the first 

 fine weather after the 20th of .March, 

 though usually not before early in 

 April, some of my neighbours even 

 earlier than the 20th some seasons ; ; 

 I prefer to be a few days later, and 

 have all business well up, than to 

 haste in planting, and probably get a 

 bad stand from cold, and part of the 

 ploughing to be jumped over. 



"I direct the cotton seed to be haul- 

 ed out, and dropped in two or three 

 heap-rows across the rows, at con- 1 

 venient distances, and in sufficient 

 parcels ; practice gives the hands a 

 pretty correct idea how much is re- j 

 quired. I usually measure enough 

 for the first row, or an acre, seldom i 

 planting over two bushels myself, and i 

 often not over one, especially if the 

 seeds be bought. If the first furrows 

 have been settled by heavy rains, are 

 rough, or have many cotton stalks 

 on the row, an iron tooth harrow 

 should be run over them, drawn by 

 one horse, and with the row ; this 

 cleans off the row, and leaves it in ' 

 fine condition for planting. 



" I strike out the furrow for planting 

 with an opener. I am very particular 

 to open the furrows as straight as 

 possible, if on level land ; or a regu- I 

 lar curve, if on hilly or rolling land. \ 

 The sower now follows with seed in 

 an apron, and scatters them along in 

 the narrow furrow by shaking the 

 hand, so as to cause each seed to fall , 

 separate, if possible. This furrow be- 

 ing from one half to three quarters 

 of an inch deep, cannot be covered 

 deep, which would be an injury, seed 

 coming up with more certainty if_ 



lightly covered, the nature of the 

 seed requiring the leaves, which are 

 folded or rolled up with the radicle, 

 or root, in the centre, to rise up be- 

 fore the plume or future stalk can 

 start. The seed is well covered. 



" I prefer planting about one half 

 the cotton crop some ten days before 

 the remainder, that too much neces- 

 sary work will not be required at the 

 same time ; if a rainy spell of weath- 

 er now, or any other backset should 

 cause detention in working over the 

 first time, grass and weeds will have 

 taken such hold, that the farmer will 

 find as hard work as in fighting fire ; 

 but if only the one half be planted 

 first, the last half will not be pressing. 

 I plant upland at four feet apart be- 

 tween the rows ; 2d low ground at 

 five feet distance. Any farmer will 

 find there is very much to be gained 

 by putting his land in fine order be- 

 fore he plants ; even if a few days 

 later planting than his careless neigh- 

 bour, he will soon overtake him in 

 cleaning his crop ; besides, his crop is 

 not checked in growth ; and he would- 

 do well to so pitch his crop that his 

 corn could get one working before 

 his cotton would require it. 



" Before giving you the cultivation 

 of the plant, I will describe the seed 

 that I have found to be the best, not 

 only in producing, but in gathering 

 the largest weights per hand. The 

 seed is covered with a short, perfectly 

 white furze, called Mexican ; when 

 fresh it is small, but, after being cul- 

 tivated in the United States, it be- 

 comes longer, gradually losing the 

 white fibres, or changing to a germ. 

 The Pettit Gulf seed is the same, only 

 it is carefully selected and kept pure 

 by the planters in the vicinity of the 

 gulf hills near Rodney, this part of 

 the Mississippi River being called 

 Pettit Gulf This cotton not only 

 produces more, but the bowls (that 

 contain the cotton and seed) open 

 out wider, and it is therefore easier 

 gathered and picked. 



" Many persons, in circling their 

 hilly land, do it a greater injury than 

 in ploughing up and down the hills, 

 because their furrows being inclined, 



195 



