164 
ANNALS OF THE 
Cultivation of the Cotton Plant, more particularly in the Southern 
States of America. 
The cotton plant flourishes in a dry sandy soil, and grows well where the 
land is too poor to produce any other valuable crop. The vicinity of the sea is 
favorable for its cultivation, as the salt clay mud acts as a manure, and the saline 
breezes as a stimulant. Wet seasons are found to be fatal to the plant. The pre- 
parations for planting cotton begin in January. The first care of the planter is to 
clear the fields, which are covered with the dry stalks of the crop of the preceding 
year. The field hands are accordingly called into requisition, and by breaking 
down the cotton stalks with heavy clubs, and pulling them up by the roots, the 
land is soon rendered arable. The stalks are then collected and burned. 
About the middle of March, or the beginni-^g of April, the plough begins its 
work. The " water furrows " about five or six feet apart, are made by a heavy 
plough, which brings the surface of the ground into ridges, in the centre of which is 
next run a light plough, making " the drill," as it is called, that is, the depository 
of the seed. Next comes the sower, who profusely scatters the cotton seed into 
the newly made "drill." And the hairow succeeding, finishes temporarily the 
various labors of planting. 
From two to three bushels of seed are sufficient to plant an acre of ground— 
this is but a slight expense, as the quantity of seeds collected at the gin-house is 
enormous. 
At the end of from six to ten days, if the weather prove favorable, the young 
plant makes its appearance, and what is termed " the scraping " of the crop, now 
begins. A light plough is first employed, which throws tJie earth away from the 
plant. The field hands then come with hoes and cut away weeds and superabun- 
dant shoots, and leave single plants on little hills at about two feet apart. 
" Scraping " the crop is an extremely delicate and difficult operation, when rightly 
performed. 
Often many tows have to be re-planted from the operations of the " cut- 
worm," or Agrotis xylina, and other causes, many of which are unknown ; but if 
all goes well in two weeks after "the scraping," the plough is again introduced, 
which throws the furrow on to the roots of the now rapidly growing plant, and the 
hoe perfects the field work, until the month of June, when the " water furrows " 
are deepened, and the plough and hoe are used for the last time. 
In the month of July the sun makes the " cotton bloom " appear. This 
" bloom " is of a beautiful light, but warm cream culour. It is considered that 
the magnificent fabrics which astonished even the polished and powerful Court of 
Spain, retained much of the natural brilliance and fine gloss which cotton pure from 
4he fields always exhibits. 
