CULTIVATION OF THE CROP. 39 



"hoes follow, to clean and level the earth on the ridge, making 

 it a point to clean the row perfectly. Never cover grass un- 

 less it is very small. 



After this, I use sweeps, cultivators, shovels, harrows, &c. 

 very seldom a turning-plough and at every working with 

 plough, throw a little earth ; every working of hoe, scrape a 

 little off, so as to keep my bed about the same height. Cotton 

 requiring a dry bed, not a high ridge ; I therefore never dra\v 

 up earth with hoes. 



After the first earthing, the main principle is to keep clean 

 and stir the earth every fourteen to twenty days ; and con- 

 tinue this even to the picking, if on good, light, moist land. 

 Better to break a few limbs of the plant, than to stop the 

 ploughs too early. 



I am opposed to waiting for the plant to have the third or 

 fifth leaf before scraping ; too much time is lost, grass gets 

 some strength, and it is more tedious to clean the crop ; besides, 

 the plant is checked in growth, and almost invariably turns 

 yellow after scraping. I also oppose scraping, if left two 

 weeks before earthing the plant. I regard scraping as essen- 

 tial to the cleaning a crop of eight or ten acres per hand ; but 

 the plant should receive earth as soon after as possible. I 

 have scraped and earthed with the hoe as I scraped, but this 

 is again too slow. Scrape or clean off grass and weeds with 

 the hoe, and dirt with the plough, is the principle. The ob- 

 ject is to keep the young plant thrifty, that it may stand up 

 against the louse. I would not speak as ex cathedra, nor 

 in that tone; yet I give my opinions as is natural to me, using 

 no parlez vous phrases. 



As regards lice and sore shin, the first is a never-failing at- 

 tendant of the cotton plant ; but when the plant is healthy, the 

 lice do not check the growth, nor do the things breed so fast. 

 They are worse upon early planted or badty cultivated land, 



