APRIL— JUNE, 1857.] 
Observations on Cotton, 
129 
QUANTITY OF COTTON PER ACRE seems to vary according to climata 
and boil,— the Sea Island at Edesto River and St. Simonds Island, U. S-, yield- 
ing 100 to 150 lbs. per acre on "Pine Barrens," or land previously unproduc- 
tive. South Carolina yields 600 to 800 lbs. of seed cotton per acre of land, 150 to 
200 lbs. of wool.— 250 to 300 lbs, is reckoned by Levi Woodbury the average of 
United States' crops. The South is supposed to give 400 lbs. and upwards in 
Louisana, Alabama, &c. A planter in Jamaica asserted to the wri'er that ha 
had 1000 lbs. ppr annum fro'^ Sea Island at two crops ? Whatever quantity it 
would yield may depend on a long dry season, and bands enough to pick it as it 
opens, A warm climate where no frost, or little prevails, will have the advantage 
in saving labour, and in abundant crops. It is an object to try whether, wiih 
these advantages Free labour cannot compete viith Slave labour, which with its 
prime cost, deaths, »clothing, food, &c. costs the Americans £30 or £40 per annum. 
ESSENTIAL POINTS REGARDING COTTON.— Prevent the increase of 
insects, particularly the cotton bug, by destroying them before iheir eggs are de- 
posited, by use of lime in powder, sprinkled through a cullender on the leaves &c. 
—keeping tbem free of weeds ; — turkeys and fowls are of great service. 
PICKING THE TREES should be done as soon as the pods open, before tha 
seed cotton separates from its receptacles, it is then in its most clean state and ea- 
sily collected. What is stained should be at once (in the act of picking) put by 
itself, the picker having two bags, one for clean, another for stained ; — or a dif- 
ferent set of pickers following for the stained alone. 
DRY POD LEAVES.— Three fine leaves surround the pod which become 
brown and very brittle (as the cotton is left longer on the tree) ; when neglected 
it is very difficult to pick the seed-cotton from the pod without breaking these 
leaves, and mixing it with the wool, but if picked as the pod opens, these three 
leaves are then yellow and very tough, and therefore unbroken,— so as to be got 
eeparate from the new entire seed-cotton. 
WOMEN AND CHILDREN are the best seed pickers,— their small fingers 
getting hold of the tip of the three clusters which form the pod and pulling them 
out entire without touching these three leaves, and having more nimble and pli- 
ant joints save time and wages. If these dry leaves once get mixed, the Saw Gia 
breaks them up to atoms, and they are spun into the threads, thus forming specks 
which weaken and disfigure the gray cottons made from East India Wool. 
POPULATION — In order to secure plenty of hands for picking, it is desira- 
ble to have cotton plantations near towns, or where plenty of young hands can be 
obtained to collect the ripe cotton as it opens, ere it blows about in the weather. 
GINNING.— The use of the Saw Gin by rapid and powerful m|ans is neces- 
sary to compete with America for ordinary qualities ; a common hand Saw Gin 
may do at the outset, but to any extent, Cattle, Water, or Steam, are necessary 
to get the crop to market, and save expense of wages. The common 18 Saw Gin 
will give about 50 to 70 lbs. of cotton wool (from 200 to 300 lbs. of seed-cotton) ; 
—the same Gin by eteam will turn out 300 lbs. of wool. 
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