170 COTTON PLANTER'S MANUAL. 



I commenced to till my present lands, and at tlie same time 

 to cultivate the short staple-cotton, nine years ago, under the 

 tutorage of an observant, experienced, and skilful overseer. 

 In the early part of the summer, he remarked to me, that we 

 should have to keep our cotton fields free of poke-weeds and 

 briars, if we meant to escape rust. This being a new idea to 

 me, I of course ridiculed it, and so unmercifully too, that, as 

 he afterwards told me, he forthwith determined that I should 

 purchase belief by expensive experience. Accordingly, to- 

 wards fall, he carried me to three several spots of rust, in as 

 many different fields, which he had contrived to produce by 

 leaving poke-stalks in or around stumps, which happened to 

 be there located. They were the only spots of rust I had in 

 my crop, and from every other portion of it, had the poke 

 been carefully eradicated. This coincidence staggered me, 

 and its repetition for nine consecutive years, has confirmed 

 my faith. 



In riding by the fields of my neighbors, I have seen poke- 

 stalks suffered to grow among the cotton, and have predicted 

 to a companion (correctly, as it was proven,) that rust would 

 be the consequence. On the other hand, I have first seen 

 rust, and on searching for it, have found poke. 



I do not say that rust may not originate without the pres- 

 ence of poke ; nor do I believe that, like the celebrated upas 

 tree, it exudes poison, deleterious to surrounding vegetation ; 

 but simply that poke, briars, strawberries, and perhaps other 

 plants, are more liable to the disease than cotton ; and having 

 first become affected, communicate the disorder to their more 

 healthy neighbor. Where poke has been repeatedly cut down 

 in the early part of the season, and is suffered to grow at a 

 late date, I believe it is harmless ; for it does not appear to 

 be liable to the disease till it has reached maturity, and com- 

 menced to decline. 



