SOUTHEKN CULTIVATOR. 
109 
earth. Its central lateral limbs are half the height of the 
stalk, and the height gives the distance at which the stalk 
should stand in the row, if not in the drill. Could the 
earth be rendeied pervious as the atmosphere, the roots 
of that portion of the stalk unseen, would exhibit an ex- 
act counterpart of that which is visible As a like ex- 
pansion of stalk, below as above the earth, cannot be had, 
and breaking or bruising the limbs is considered wrong, 
it is material to know from whose experience or by what 
process of reasoning, breaking or bruising the roots of the 
plant, while tending it, can be proven to be right. 
That system of cotton culture which gives to the stalk 
the size it should have, sets its squares or forms, and fur 
nishes the earliest picking, is the best; while that which 
renders it disproportionate in size, either way, to strength 
or fertility of the land, is the worst. Insufficiently worked 
lands, not only unexpectedly, but more frequently have 
good crops on them than those worked overmuch, or deep- 
ly plowed too late. The stalks at the ends of rows, in the 
jams of fences, on the banks of earth attached to the roots 
of upturned trees, and volunteers around gins, which are 
worked with the hoe only, usually are hardy, short jointed 
and productive. The latots of these stalks are neither cut 
nor bruised, nor are they rendered succulent by deep and 
frequent plowing, and thus brought within the influence 
of atmospheric changes, which so frequently cause the 
stalks to cast their squares, and the crop to fall. 
Pruning is deemed by the vintner and gardener an in- 
dispensible treatment of the vine, the fruit tree and of 
shrubbery; but whether cutting the roots of the vine of 
annuals and perennials with the spade every time they 
are worked, be practiced by them or not, I have no idea 
At no time have I proposed or attempted to acquire a 
knowledge of the science of botany and horticulture, and 
have only sought in books on these subjects information 
respecting solitary articles, as occasion required. I am 
aware that acquaintance with the nature and habits of the 
cotton plant facilitates acquaintance with the nature and 
habits of other plants, and with many of the principles on 
which the sciences of botany, horticulture and agriculture 
rest. It has so happened that for the last twenty-four 
years, I have not resided on either of my plantations, and 
that for the previous six I was engaged in politics, which, 
during his involvment in them, disqualifies a person for 
solid thinking, and for many years afterwards for the use 
ful employment of his time. It is true, I made frequent 
visits in the spring and fall seasons of the year to my plan- 
tations, and that I made those visits as conducive to the 
successful prosecution of my studies and experiments as 
my overseers would permit. It is also true that I dismiss- 
ed seven out of nine of those employed on my Nitta-Yuma 
estate and a like proportion of those engaged for my Cane 
Kills plantation, and that the injuries and provocations re- 
ceived at their hands increased instead of diminishing my 
energy and perseverance; but this did not restore to me 
the choice cotton seed of two years’ selections, which two 
of my overseers stole from me, nor the time which the de- 
termination of the others to break up my investigations 
and experiments, because the merit and credit of them did 
not inure to them individually or collectively, caused me 
to lose. 
Forty years observation and experience have taught me 
that the great cotton planting problem of the day is the 
discovery of a method of cultivation which will set the 
squares of cotton alike on fresh and worn, on rich and 
I poor lands, and in any kind of season that may occur. If 
i I had the ability, I have not the opportunity to .solve this 
I problem, and must, therefore, leave its solution to those 
i who fortunately and happily, enjoy the possession of 
both. In the vicinity of Alemphis, in October last, I saw 
I the thing done as it should be, or I am greatly mistaken, 
j If, by the gentleman alluded to, who is, I think, the most 
scientific, judicious and accomplished planter whose 
management I have had the opportunity of examining, 
the desired information cannot be furnished, I do not know 
from whom it can be had. The answer given more than 
thirty years since to a question of mine, by the late Mr. 
Joel Cameron, who was considered by us the greatest cot- 
ten planter of his day, thoroughly understood, contains, 
it seems to me, nearly all that can be known of the I’ight 
cultivation of cotton. I asked him how he managed to 
beat us all in planting, so badlyl “By picking one bale of 
cotton to the ha id,” he replied, “before any other man 
starts, and two after he is done.” 
With great respect, truly yours, 
H. W. Vick. 
Cooper’s Well, Miss., Oct., 4th, 1854. 
R. K. Arthnr, Editor Vicksburg Whig: 
Dear Sir — While at Haywood I dashed off a short ag- 
ricultural article, which I sent to you. Nearly a month 
elapsed, as your paper failed to reach me, before I learned 
that you had given it publicity. Writing the article kept 
my thoughts more turned to the subject than they other- 
wise would have been. The result has been that the lead- 
ing ideas then and still in my mind have associated others 
with them, as you will perceive by the paper sent here- 
with. 
The article based upon the one published would seem to 
explain itself but it does not. It is the fruit of 42 years’ 
observation, and careful noting of things. In the winter 
of 1812 and 1813, 1 saw the overseer of my father’s plan- 
tation on the Louisiana bank of the Mississippi river, 
measure the root of a cotton stalk which was eight feet in 
length. What the actual or supposed height of the stalk 
was, I have forgotten. It grow upon what was known to 
have been a gum hole. iThe sweet gum tree of the Mis- 
sissippi swamps in its course of decay, rots out, as the 
phrase is, leaving a hole of dangerous depth and dimen- 
sions, which remains the terror of every body and of every 
thing, until filled with leaves, limbs, dead cane, rotten 
wood, or deposits from overflows. These holes when filled 
with vegetable decomposition or aqueous sedimentary de- 
posits are as penetrable by the roots of plants as it is pos- 
sible for soil or earth to be. 
Ten yearsafter this occurrence, a kinsman, an older and 
better planter than myself finding me at fault, told me that 
the rule for laying off cotton in the row was furnished by 
the height of the stalk and that the rule was deduced from 
its orbicular form, the central limbs being half the height of 
the stalk. Although the truth and value of his observa- 
tions were obvious enough, and were duly appreciated, I 
did not understand him to mean, although he may so 
have meant, that his remarks were intended to apply as 
well to the unseen as the visible parts of the stalk. 
While on my Haywood estate, I was in the midst of my 
cotton scrapers, when the third observation w^as made by 
me, which gives to the orbicular idea such completeness or 
value as it may be thought or found to possess. I was 
walking with my driver, noticing the past and passing 
cultivation of the crop, and the cotton where we were, be- 
ing two to three feet high. The field some days before 
had been deeply, too deeply plowed, to a depth say of 5 
or 6 inches, and where we were for the moment standing 
the bar brought to within 4 to 6 inches of the .-=talk. The 
depth to which the plow was sunk, and the closeness to 
the stalk at which it passed, threw the cotton upon a ridge 
of less than a foot in width, with its roots shorn to a trim- 
ness of less than six inches. The cut roots being suffici- 
ently numerous to whiten, as my driver termed it, the 
sides of the ridges, combined with the dry and intensely 
hot weather, and exposed condition of the plant, brought 
to my recollection my kinsman’s remarks, and former re- 
flections upon them, which caused me plainly to see that 
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