56 



ever used, are these that it will kill a greater quantity of 

 grass and weeds in a given time, and do less injury to tlic 

 surface roots of the plant, so essential to its pj'ogressive pros- 

 perity. The hoe-hands follow this instrument, thin the cotton 

 to a stand, one stalk in a place, and draw up a small quantity 

 of soil to the standing plant. The entire subsequent culture 

 is performed with the sweep and hoe, which should simply 

 scrape and pulverize the surface, so as to kill any grass and 

 weeds that may appear, and allow a free circulation of atmos- 

 pheric air to the fibrous roots of the fruiting stalk, requiring 

 at this critical -period all the aid and nourishment that culture, 

 soil, and atmosphere can afford. By the 1st of July my 

 cotton stands from five to nine feet high, and I have it topped 

 by the 10th, at farthest, after which I run the sweep once 

 through it, and the hoe, if necessary, to remove any grass that 

 may have sprung up immediately above the stalk. After this, 

 and by this time, frequently in places the cotton will be so 

 much interlocked, and the ground so shaded, as to keep down 

 ajl other vegetation ; yet it may be found necessary again to 

 chop about in places with the hoe, when the cotton may not 

 have locked so early. This should be invariably attended to. 

 This brings us again to the season of harvesting the staple. 



Let no planter prejudge and reject this system, upon the 

 score of simplicity, supposing the process too simple to accom- 

 plish the object proposed ; first, act wisely, make the experi- 

 ment, and try it. Strictly follow this plain and simple process, 

 and if the land does not reward your pains-taking, with jive 

 or six-fold the quantity per acre, of a superior stable, than has 

 at any previous season been taken from it, in its natural state, 

 I will present the experimenter with one bushel of my im- 

 proved seed, with which to perfect the experiment. At another 

 time I propose devoting a paragraph to the importance of 

 selecting and improving cotton seed. 



