12 COTTON PLANTER'S MANUAL. 



knowledge of this fact, it becomes a matter of prime import- 

 ance, to understand what these peculiarities of soil are, and 

 where deficiencies exist, to search them out and by artificial 

 means, as far as it may be practicable, to correct or cure these 

 defects of the soil in its natural state. We may not hope to 

 remedy all the imperfections, yet it is the province of the cul- 

 tivator to approximate as nearly as possible, and by prepara- 

 tion and culture, to endeavor to meet these peculiar wants of 

 the plant. The first inquiry which presents itself is, to know 

 what are the peculiarities of those soils which suit the growth 

 and maturity of cotton. Experience is perhaps the safest and 

 most reliable test, in the settlement of this question, and it is 

 now pretty universally conceded, that our best cotton lands 

 are those which are of deep and soft mold, a sort of medium 

 between the sandy and spongy, and those soils which are hard 

 and close those which are penetrated by the warming rays 

 of the sun, imbibing readily the stimulating gases of the 

 atmosphere, and which allow the excess of rain water to settle 

 so deep into the earth, as to lie at a harmless distance below 

 the roots of the young plant. These are the properties of soil 

 needful to the vigorous growth and early maturity of the cotton 

 plant ; and the knowledge of this fact is of great, and perhaps 

 I might add, indispensable importance, to its successful cul- 

 tivation. For though we may not find, and indeed it is very 

 improbable that we should often find, all these essentials in 

 the selection of a farm, yet by the aid of the plough, the hoe, 

 and the spade, and the incorporation of foreign substances, we 

 may remedy many defects, and supply many of the peculiar 

 demands of this plant. These are all preliminaries to be 

 arranged and understood, and from this point, we set out to 

 discuss the question, as to the best methods of cultivating the 

 cotton crop. It may already have been inferred, but I am 

 not willing to leave it to inference, but make the assertion, 



