14 COTTON PLANTER'S MANUAL. 



do better in planting, than make an estimate of the probable 

 average size to which the weed will grow, dependent, of course 

 upon the vicissitudes of the seasons. It would, therefore, be 

 vain to attempt to be more specific in directions, which must 

 be varied always to suit the varied character of the soil. This 

 whole question then, is to be settled upon the principle already 

 stated. The planting should be in drills, chiefly because of 

 the difficulty of obtaining good stands in hills ; and I would 

 add, for the information of those who may be without expe- 

 rience, that in the common medium lands of the country, 

 these rows ought ordinarily to be about four feet apart, and 

 the stalks in the drill should be thinned, so as to stand from 

 fifteen to twenty inches from each other. The width of the 

 rows and the distance in the drill, may be increased upon 

 better lands, and in some cases of very thin lands, it may fall 

 a little below the distances designated. I do not regard it a 

 matter of indispensable importance, but should decidedly pre- 

 fer that the rows should run in such direction as to give the 

 plant the largest benefit of the sun from early morn to its 

 setting. The cotton is decidedly a sun plant. 



The Mode of Planting. Here we have many plans, all 

 setting up claims to some peculiar merit. With the prepara- 

 tion which I have indicated, it would hardly be necessary to 

 stop to discuss the relative merits of these modes, or seek to 

 do more for the accomplishment of our purpose, than to select 

 some one, which we know to answer well. I therefore ad- 

 vise the use of some small and very narrow plough, for the 

 opening furrow. This should be run in the centre of the 

 bed, opening a straight furrow of uniform size and depth. In 

 this the seed should be strewed by some careful hand, scat- 

 tering them uniformly along the furrow, just thick enough to 

 secure a good stand the whole length of the row. These I 

 would cover with a board, made of some hard wood, an inch 



