54 COTTON PLANTER'S MANUAL. 



prepared for the purpose, I deposit the requisite quantity of 

 manure in each hill. By this means, which in practice will 

 be found simple and expeditious enough, I give four to five 

 hundred bushels of manure to each acre an infallible insur- 

 ance for 5000 Ibs. of a superior staple per acre. 



As the manure is placed in the hill by rows, the wide way, 

 a short distance in advance, a good plough-hand follows with 

 a turn-plough, which should run into the soil from six to eight 

 indies deep at least, and turn well, with which four furrows 

 are thrown together on each row ; thus fixing the half gallon 

 of manure in each hill, entirely within the region of constant 

 moisture. This gives me a fine, large bed, and well broke, to 

 lie until at or about the first of April, when the cotton seed 

 should be planted. This is done by first opening the bed as 

 shallow as possible, with some instrument such as that de- 

 scribed by M. W. Philips, Esq., in the March number of the 

 ninth volume of the Cultivator. This I prefer to any other 

 instrument of the kind I have ever yet seen, since its depth of 

 furrow may be graduated to a positive certainty so as to avoid 

 disturbing the manure in the hill ; it should not be opened out 

 deeper than one inch. The bed thus opened, and the seed 

 previously rolled in leeched ashes or sand, which answer very 

 well, though I prefer a compound of two parts of ashes to one 

 of common salt made moist with water ; the seeds, well rolled 

 in this, are carefully dropped over the manure. Eight or ten 

 seeds in a place will answer to secure a stand. There will be 

 no difficulty in dropping the seed over the manure in the hill, 

 when it is recollected and observed that upon the unbroken 

 space of some two feet between each row, the scooter-furrows 

 will be found an unerring guide to the manure in the bed at 

 distances of three feet. The seed thus dropped I prefer to 

 have covered with a hoe, lightly and carefully ; bearing in 

 mind this golden truth, that " a crop well planted is half made." 



