COTTON. 189 



them when agitated) they, also, should be cut down. Some 

 farmers top the seed plants, when five or six feet high, to 

 make them branch more freely, but this is not necessary 

 where but one or two seed bearing plants are suffered to re- 

 main in each hill." 



A seed bearing hemp crop is a great exhauster of land, 

 while such as is grown only for the fibre takes but a mode- 

 rate amount of fertilizing matter from the soil. Unlike most 

 crops sown broadcast, it grows with such strength and luxu- 

 riance, as to keep the weeds completely smothered, and it 

 may therefore be grown for many successive seasons on the 

 same field. Its entire monopoly of the ground, prevents the 

 growth of clover or the grains in connexion with it. 



The seed yields an oil of inferior value, and when cooked, it 

 affords a fattening food for animals. 



COTTON (Gossypium.} 



Has, within the few past years, become the leading agricul- 

 tural export of the United States. The total amount of the 

 cotton crop in this country in 1845, was estimated at about 

 850,000,000 Ibs. This enormous product has mainly grown 

 up within the last 60 years. Even as late as 1825 our total 

 production was within 170,000,000. The introduction of 

 Whitney's cotton gin, in the latter part of the last century 

 gave the first decided movement towards the growth of 

 American cotton. Previous to this invention the separating 

 of the cotton seed from the fibre was mostly done by hand, 

 and the process was so slow and expensive as to prevent any 

 successful competition with the foreign article. This incom- 

 parable invention, which cleaned 1000 Ibs in the same time 

 a single pound could be cleaned without it, overcame the 

 only obstacle to complete success, and millions of acres of 

 the fertile lands of the south and west are now annually cov- 

 ered with the snowy product. The increase seems to know 

 no check or abatement, as with the lessening price and in- 

 creasing quantity, the demand seems constantly to augment. 



CLIMATE AND SOIL. Cotton will grow in some of the 

 middle states, but with little profit north of the Carolinas 

 and Tennesee. The soil required is a dry, rich loam. 



CULTIVATION. During the winter, the land intended for 

 planting should be thrown up in beds by turning several fui 

 rows together. These beds should be 4 feet from centre to 

 centre for a moderate quality of upland soil, and 5 feet for 

 the lowland. But these distances should be increased with 



