lo COTTON PLANTER'S MANUAL. 



under favorable circumstances, a little more may be culti- 

 vated, and on some lands less. Upon this basis, I proceed. 

 As soon as the young cotton is up to a good stand, and the 

 third and fourth leaves begin to appear, the operation may 

 commence. In lands which are smooth and soft, I incline to 

 the opinion, that the hoes should precede the ploughs, chopping 

 into bunches, passing very rapidly on, and let a careful plough- 

 man follow, on each side of the drill, throwing a little light 

 dirt into the spaces made by the hoe, and a little also about 

 the roots of the cotton, covering and leaving covered, all small 

 grass which may have sprung up. This is, indeed, the merit 

 claimed for the operation, that after the hoes have passed, 

 the ploughs come on and effectually cover and destroy the 

 coat of young grass then up. This is known to practical 

 planters, to be the crop of grass which escapes the hoe, and 

 does mischief to the cotton. But when the land is so rough 

 as to endanger the covering of the cotton with the plough, the 

 operation must be reversed, and the hoes follow the ploughs. 

 As all that is now proposed to be done is, a very rapid super- 

 ficial working, reducing the crop to bunches, soon to pass 

 over and return again, for a more careful operation. This 

 should be done as soon as possible, as will be indicated by the 

 necessities of the case. The grass and the weeds must be 

 kept down, and the stand of cotton reduced. At this first 

 working, unless in lands already very soft, I should advise the 

 siding to be close, and to ,be done with some plough which 

 would break and loosen the earth deep about the roots of the 

 young plant. Others may theorize as they choose, but with 

 a plant sending out a tap root, upon which it so much relies, 

 and striking so deep into the earth, as that of cotton, I shall 

 insist upon its accommodation, by providing a soft, deep, mel- 

 low bed, into which these roots may easily penetrate. In the 

 second working, the ploughs should in all cases go before the 



