180 COTTON PLANTER'S MANUAL. 



statistics. In 1849, the manufacturing companies of Man- 

 chester adopted the following resolution : 



"Resolved, That we consider all reports relative to a short 

 crop, such as overflows, worms, &c., altogether humbug." 

 They are now raising the cry of large crops, in order to keep 

 down the prices. I fear we have given them too much rope 

 to take it up with ease, unless we make a long pull, a strong 

 pull, and a pull altogether. They are now like the negro's 

 horse have two good eyes, and won't see. It is fearful to 

 contemplate, when we consider the ravages the disease is 

 making upon the cotton plant, and so little said or done to 

 remedy the evil. Let us take a retrospect of the cotton plant. 

 When the Deity in his goodness gave our forefathers the 

 virgin soil with their rude agricultural implements the old 

 black seed to cultivate which was so peculiarly adapted to 

 his situation when cotton gins were among the things un- 

 cumbered, the pioneer, with his wife and his little ones, after 

 their daily toil in gathering their cotton in, assembled around 

 their pine-knot fire to disengage the seed from its linty fibre, 

 whilst the mother and daughters converted it into yarn, to 

 barter it for the necessaries of life. Thus time passed on, 

 until the plant began to run out, and the rot made its appear- 

 ance, which caused a new importation of seed, different from 

 the black seed ; which caused arts and sciences to be put in 

 motion to prepare it for market then the disease disappeared 



Time passed on, and no very great change was made in the 

 seed, until Col. Abby, of Mastodon notoriety, made a fortune 

 in a very short time by selling his seed at fifteen to twenty, 

 and even fifty dollars per bushel, which went off like hot 

 cakes proved to be more valuable than the cotton itself. 

 There was a general stampede among the planters who should 

 make the next fortune selling seed, and at the same time heap 

 ing denunciations upon the Colonel. By a little care in select- 



