1845-46.] ME. FINKIE Otf COTTON CULTIVATION. 97 



the ground dry enough to plant nicely. Again, after 

 sowing, a good rain is essential to a perfect stand of 

 plants ; and indeed during the planting season, it usu- 

 ally falls at intervals of a few days. If no rain falls on 

 the newly-sown field, the plants come up irregularly. 

 Again, if a very heavy rain falls on the newly-sown 

 Cotton, and a hot sun follows immediately after- 

 wards ; then, if the ground be old and clayey, it 

 bakes over the seed, and becomes so hard that the 



; plant cannot make its way through it ; and a light 

 wooden-tooth harrow is often run over it to break the 

 crust, and thus to let the young plants appear above- 

 ground. But as regards weather, the Planter is a pro- 

 verbial grumbler. It is always too dry or too wet. If 

 he does not get rain every six or eight days during the 

 whole ploughing and hoeing season, he grumbles, and 

 frets, and loses all patience at seeing his " hands " work- 

 ing to so great disadvantage in the hard land ; wearing 

 out his hoes, wearing out the files for keeping the hoes 

 sharp, and obliging his blacksmiths to be always em- 

 ployed in keeping the ploughs in order. Then the 



i Planter in the old hills or uplands is raving because his 

 plants do not grow in dry weather ; whilst his neigh- 

 bour on the river "bottoms" is raving because his 

 plants grow too fast in wet weather. Thus the crop is 

 always pretty regular, except when attacked by the 

 bug or caterpillar ; but this casualty seldom happens. 

 The usual rough estimate of an average crop is a bale 

 of 400 lbs. of clean Cotton per acre ; the seed Cotton 

 yielding from 30 to 31 per cent, of clean Cotton. Mr. 

 Pinnie considered that some lands might produce such 

 a crop ; but he was inclined to estimate the average at 

 about 300 lbs. of clean Cotton per acre. 



Expenses of Cotton cultivation : produce estimated, 155 

 not at so much per acre, but at four to eight bales per 

 Negro. — According to Mr. Pinnie, it is impossible to 

 calculate in detail the expenses of cultivating one acre 

 of Cotton ; because there are slaves employed, who re- 

 ceive no wages, and who are also employed in culti- 

 vating other things beside Cotton. The produce is 

 always roughly estimated at so many bales to the 



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