190 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



the increasing strength of the soil to 7 and 8 feet for the 

 strongest lands. These may lie until the time of planting, 

 from 20th of March to 20th of April, when no further danger 

 from frost is apprehended ; then harrow thoroughly and with 

 a light plow mark the centre of the beds and sow at the rate 

 of 2 to 5 bushels of seed per acre. A drilling machine might 

 be made to answer this purpose better and save much time. 

 An abundance of seed is necessary to provide for the ene- 

 mies of the plant, which are frequently very destructive. If 

 all the seed germinates, there will be a large surplus of plants, 

 which must be removed by thinning. The kind of useed sed 

 for uplands is Mexican and Petit-Gulf, both of the same vari- 

 ety, but the last is better selected and has been kept pure. 

 There is an advantage in mixing the seed before it is sown, 

 with moistened ashes or gypsum, as it facilitates sowing and 

 germination. The seed should be buried from i to 1 J inches, 

 and the earth pressed closely over it. The subsequent cul- 

 tivation is performed with various instruments, the bull- 

 tongue or scooter, the shovel, double shovel, the sweep, the 

 harrow, the cultivator and the hoe. One or more of the for- 

 mer must be used to pulverize the land and uproot and clean 

 off the weeds ; while the last is necessary to carry this ope- 

 ration directly up to the stem of the plants. The culture is 

 thus summarily stated by Dr. Phillips : " Commence clearing 

 the cotton early ; clean it well ; return to it as soon as pos- 

 sible, throw earth or mould to the young plants, and if the 

 ground be hard give it a thorough plowing ; keep the earth 

 light and mellow and the plants clear of grass and weeds." 

 The plants are thinned at every hoeing, till they attain a 

 height of 3 or four inches, when two or three are allowed to 

 stand together at intervals of about 8 inches for a medium 

 quality of soil. This distance should be largely increased 

 when it is richer. Cotton is subject to the cut and army 

 worm, the slug and catterpillar, cotton lice, rot, sore shin and 

 rust. We have seen no remedies prescribed for either, but 

 we suggest for experiment the exposure of the two former to 

 frost, by plowing just before its appearance. The free use 

 of lime and salt and similar manures might arrest or mitigate 

 the effects of all. Birds should also be encouraged upon the 

 fields,as they would destroy numbers of the worm and insect 

 tribes. It has been claimed that the introduction of the Mex- 

 ican and Petit-Gulf varieties is the most effectual remedy, as 

 they furnish hardier kinds, which are less the object of attack 

 and have a greater ability to withstand it. 



