COTTOX CULTURE. 127 



IV. It always pays to be particular in collecting and 

 caring for the seed cotton of a place. The practical dif- 

 ference between good seed and bad, is this: By having 

 seed that produces a superior quality of cotton, the planter 

 may obtain from one to five cents more a pound for his 

 crop. By planting seeds remarkable for the largeness of 

 their yield, he may realize an increase of from one hundred 

 to three hundred pounds more of ginned cotton to the 

 acre. 



V. An enterprising, and pains-taking cotton grower, 

 by developing a superior quality of seed, and securing for 

 it a reputation, may make as much from the sale of his 

 seed, as lie does from that of his ginned cotton, it being 

 understood, of course, that he is surrounded by planters 

 who, being careless with respect to their own seed cotton, 

 are always desirous to obtain improved varieties. 



SEA ISLAND COTTON. 



Edisto Island, south of Charleston, is the most favorable 

 part of the United States, vin respect to both soil and 

 climate, for the production of " Sea Island Cotton." It 

 has a sandy soil, but little above tide, which, penetrating 

 the island through numerous small channels, gives irreg- 

 ular shape to the plantations, but permits boats to come 

 to almost every man's door. The mud from salt marshes 

 is much used as manure, and is differently applied, accord- 

 ing to the taste and judgment of various planters. As 

 the soil is generally very light, it is unproductive, unless 

 manure is used ; and even with manure the average yield 

 of Sea Island cotton is not much more than half the av- 

 erage of Upland cotton. A sea-board planter, writing 

 from Liberty County, Georgia, in 1848, says that in eight- 

 een years his crops have averaged a fraction over three 

 acres per hand, the yield one hundred and thirty-seven 

 pounds per acre, and the net proceeds per hand, eighty- 



