GOVERNOR HAMMOND'S REPORT. 25 



and affords more air when it is young. It enables you to get 

 at it in working. By increasing the surface, it absorbs more 

 moisture, if it is too dry ; and gives out more if it is too wet, 

 and in both cases, gives you the advantage of a vertical sun 

 on the tap root, which hastens the maturity of the bolls a 

 vast desideratum in our climate. On this account, the bed 

 can hardly be drawn too high at the last hoeing, in any 

 season. 



In cultivating Cottony whether with the plough or hoe, the 

 chief object is to keep down the grass, which is its greatest 

 antagonist, bringing all, or almost all other evils in its train. 

 It is not so essential, in the opinion of your Committee, to 

 keep the ground stirred, as is generally supposed, and by no 

 means requisite to stir it deep ; at all events, not to our light 

 soil. If it be well prepared, deep ploughing is not only un- 

 necessary for any of our crops, but often highly injurious to 

 them, while it rapidly exhausts the land, by turning it up 

 fresh, under a burning sun. Much unnecessary pains is usu- 

 ally taken, and time lost, to work the plant in a particular 

 way, under the supposition that it is a peculiarly delicate one. 

 If it survives its infancy, few plants are hardier. It is often 

 found to reach maturity in the alleys, where the mules walk 

 with the ploughs following, and the laborer tramps backward 

 and forward. Sometimes it will bear fruit in turnrows used 

 frequently for wagons, while it really seems to derive benefit 

 from being bitten down almost to the ground by the animals ; 

 it will bear almo&t any usage better than it will that mortal 

 enemy grass. 



The most critical operation in working cotton, is thinning. 

 It should be done with great care, and if early, with the hand. 

 In a dry year, it cannot be done too early after the plant is 

 up. In a wet one, it may be profitably delayed, until it has 

 begun to form, or later even. On the experience, observation 

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