1862. 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMEK. 



19 



««I had been in the habit of raising all the cotton 

 the family used prior to coming to this (State. 

 For twelve years after I came Illinois, to-wit : 

 from 1817 to 1829, we raised cotton every year 

 sufiBcient for home consumption, and discontinued 

 raising cotton there because cotton goods could be 

 purchased cheaper in the stores than made at 

 home. We used Tennessee cotton seed. Planted 

 usually about the first of May, and picked out 

 during the month of September. Usually we 

 had no trouble from frost. 



"I have no doubt but that cotton could be 

 raised to advantage in all the south half of Illi- 

 nois every year. "Z. Caskt. 



'' Mt. Vernon, Jefferson Co^Ills., Dec. 9,1861.'' 



Famuel Ilenry, aged 67 year, came from Ten- 

 nessee in 1819 — post ofiBce, Nashville, Washing- 

 ton county; for six years raised cotton near 

 Sparta, Randolph county, and three subsequent 

 years raised it where he now lives. Gave up the 

 culture because,it imposed too much labor upon 

 the women, and cetton yarn could be bought 

 cheaper than they could raise it. Planted as 

 soon as the ground was in condition — about the 

 1st of May. Very early frost would sometimes 

 aflfect it. Thinks it can be raised here success- 

 fully. 



Livesay Carter, aged 62 years — post office 

 Nashville, Washington county — came from Ten- 

 nessee in 1818; raised cotton six years; planted 

 in May, and picked from first of September until 

 November; used native seed; it some'imes was 

 slightly afi^tfcted by frost. Thinks cotton can be 

 raised here as well as anywhere. 



Wm, D. Mitchell, aged 45 — post office Ashley 

 Washington county; came from Tennessee in 1829^ 

 raised cotton for ten years; ceased to raise i 

 because cotton goods could be bought cheaper; 

 used native seed; planted as soon as the ground 

 was in condition to work, and had no trouble 

 from frost; the yield was quite uniform. 



James Martin, aged 58 — post office Osboru; 

 Washington county; came from Tennesse in 1828 

 says for the first eight years raised cotton every 

 year until cotton goods became cheaper. Used 

 native seed — planted from 1st to lOtb of May, 

 and picked duiing the fall; don't think this will 

 ever be a cotton country; cannot tell the reason 

 why — he acknowledged that it grew with him; 

 the frost would nip it sometimes. 



David McClnrkin, aged 48 years; came from 

 South Carolina in 1817; says for first four years 

 raised cotton successfnlly, until the women began 

 to buy their cotton goods; used native seed — had 

 no trouble from frost. Think cotton can be grown 

 here of as geod a quality, and with a larger yield 

 than in South Carolina* Post office Sparta, Ran- 

 dolph county. 



Isiac Ford, aged 48 years — post office Osborn, 

 Washington county, came from Missouri in 1835: 

 had raised cotton the past two years, 1860 and 

 1861; used native seed; planted 10th Ma:^ and 

 picked early in the fall; had no trouble from frost. 



Thinks it can be raised as successfully and just 

 as well as eny other crop. 



Zachariah Parish, aged 57 — post office Ofborn, 

 Washington county, came from Ohio in 1840 — 

 has raised cotton most every year since — used 

 native seed; planted eaily in May and picked du- 

 ring the fall. He raised on old and new land; 

 does better on new land; had no trouble from 

 frost. 



Mrs. Wm. Finch — post office Mt. Vernon, Jef- 

 ferson county; came from Indiana — raised cotton 

 for about twenty years before 1845, until cotton 

 goods became cheaper. Used sou'hern seed — 

 planted as early as possible in May, and picked 

 during the fall — had no trouble from frost — does 

 better on new land. It is a sure and good crop, 

 planted early in the spring on fresh turnei sod, 

 and requires no cultivation. Their average yield 

 oiF an acre and a quarter, after taking out the 

 toll for ginni g, was four hundred pounds equal 

 to a yield of over four hundred pounds to the 

 acre. 



Appollos Cooper, aged 60— came from Tennes- 

 see in 1860; pest office DeSoto, Jackson county; 

 raised cotton this year; planted 1st of May, cut 

 off by army worm; leplanted the last of May, 

 and it was as good cotton as he ever saw grow in 

 Tennessee — yielded at the rate of 1,200 to 1,600 

 per acre af seed cotton. 



Bannister Kruse, aged 46; native of Illinois — 

 post office DeSoto, Jackson county, has raised 

 cotton for the past twenty-three years; used na- 

 tive seed; planted in May and picked in Septem- 

 ber. 



Hardey Kruse, aged 43 — post office DeSoto, 

 Jackson county; native of Illinois; has raised cot- 

 ton for the past eight years; used native seed; 

 planted 10th of May, picked in September; thinks 

 it a sure crop with proper cultivation. 



James Kruse, aged 35 — post office DeSoto, 

 Jackson county; has raised cotton for the past 

 eight years; used native seed; planted 10th ot 

 May, picked during September and Octaber; 

 thinks it a sure crop with proper cultivation. 



Robert Pugh, as to the culture of cotton, near 

 Pana, by his father, Thomas Pugh. Robert Pugh 

 aged 46. Thomas Pugh is dead — his son, Robert 

 Pugh, says they come from Kentucky in 1819; 

 for first six years raised cotton every year; did 

 so until cotton goods were sold cheaper; used 

 Kentucky seed. The only crop that failed -was 

 planted on newly cleared timber land; it grew 

 too rank and remained green too long, and was 

 considerably injured by frost; planted about the 

 first of May and picked during the fall. Had 

 no trouble from frost, but in the single instance 

 above mentioned. 



Thomas Wells, aged 84 — post office DuQuoin, 

 Perry county- came from South Carolina in 1805; 

 raised cotton for twenty five years — until cotton 

 became cheaper; used Kentucky seed; planted 

 first of May,, and commenced picking the last of 

 August^ thinks it will grow and do well, unless 

 the climate has changed very much. 



