424 



COTTON-WOOL. 



Appendix. 



REMARKS 



ON THE 



CULTURE OF COTTON 



IN THE 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (1829). 



The preparation of cotton-land requires most particular 

 attention. It must be repeatedly ploughed and frequently 

 harrowed, say twice or thrice, until it is thoroughly 

 pulverised : drills four feet apart, in some instances three, 

 are then made with a plough, into which, if the soil be 

 poor, old well-rotted stable manure is placed, and at the 

 distance of one and a half to two feet, a hole, not 

 exceeding one inch to one and a-half inch in depth, is 

 made with a hoe, and a handful of seed dropped therein, 

 which must be immediately covered with the soil. The 

 planting generally takes place between the 20th April 

 and lOih May; the earlier the better, in order that the 

 cotton may be matured before the appearance of the 

 fall-frosts. The richer the soil, the larger and better the 

 crop, as with every vegetable. When the plants are 

 about one inch above ground they are thinned with the 

 hand, leaving four only. At a later period, and when all 

 danger from worms, &c. is well over, they are again 

 thinned, and two only are left to bear ; from these, by 

 hoeing or ploughing, the weeds must be kept clear, until 

 the bolls are perfectly ripe and begin to open, which 

 occurs during September and October. As they expand 

 freely, the cotton must by hand be picked clean from the 

 boll, and being a little damp, exposed for a day or two, 

 in a dry situation, to the rays of the sun. 



The 



