SS2 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
failing production of food for nrutn and beast. In cotton, 
v/hich is a Dicotyledonous plant, the two coiyledons 
oi’ lobes nicely rolled up in the seed, by the absorption of 
■heat and moisture, expand and crack the pericarp or hull, 
when the radicle issues, and whatever be the position of 
the' seed, starts 'immediately downward forcing its way 
deeply into the ground by the contintml elongation of a 
point, and producing what is called the tap-root. . Hav- 
ing obtained some hold in the ground, and needing the 
further action of light and air to develop the cotyledons 
info’ leaves, it begins to exert a lifting power upon the seed 
which first cracks the ground, and finally forces its way 
to the surface; when, by the further development and un- 
folding of the cotyledons, k bursts and throws off the hull; 
tlitis completing the proces.s of gerra’ination and coming 
up in a heaithy manner. The point of a imung plant 
called the neck, or dividing point between the root and 
the stem, being the vital centre from which the germ first 
began to develop into a new being, is so peculiarly sensi- 
nve that an injury infilcted at that point is always fatal. 
Now, itso happens that a pungent morbific agent, peculiar 
to the cotton seed, is always present at t!)i.s sensitive point 
during the first stage of gtrmiiiation, which, if not le- 
move.d froni contact with the. neck, never fails to poi.son — 
strangle and kill the plant. The short woolly fuz or lint, 
which adheres so tenaciously to the cotton seed, is the 
most dangerous enemy v;ith which the young plantj fraught 
with the w ealth of argosies and the fate of nations, has to 
contend. 
It proves fatal in two v/ays, by its irritative acrimoni- 
ous effect in contact with the neck, and by being inciden- 
tally made to act the part of a ligature. When the radicle 
escapes from a seed which is imbedded, as many must be, 
standing on its larger end, or nearly so, it passes down 
between the hull and the lint, which, being strengthened 
by the adhering earth, forms a ligature of sufficient 
strength to bury itself in the growing bark, girdling and 
cutting off the incipierk circulation in the delicate, recent- 
ly organized texture which it embraces, and destroying 
the plant. Plants affected by this morbid condition to an 
extent which precludes the possibility of recovery, will, 
nevertheless, sometimes live till they are one or two feet 
high, and then break off at the point where the injury 
was inflicted, exhibiting the appearance of having never 
circulated the sap through the bark between the root and 
the top. 
The process of germination in the cotton seed, when 
unobstructed, affords a natural, simple and sure preven- 
tive of the destruction threatened by its peculiar organi- 
zation in the vital motive-power, generated by the growth 
of the stem before the cotyledons have acquired sufficient 
development, to burst open the hull and escape. This 
lifting power, if allowed to act under favorable circum- 
stances, is sufficient to prevent the adhesion of the huh to 
the neck of the plant, which is the sole cause of the fatality 
attending young cotton, Plants killed in this way exhibit 
a swelling just above where the hull was attacked, with a 
black, dead, shrivelled appearance; or a ring, looking as if 
a thread had been tied around it, and frequently some 
fibres of the lint may be found imbedded in the depres- 
sion ; while below, the root is dead, without the appear- 
ance of having grownin proportion to the tap root. Some- 
times, when killed by the ligature, the root continues alive 
and presents a sw’-elied appearance just below the ring, 
as well as above. 
In making examinations to verify this theory, too much 
reliance must not be placed on the appearance of stalks 
that are entirely dead and dry ; as the rapii^ity of decay 
may have obliterated all traces of the cause of death. Ob- 
servations should begin with plants that appear to be but 
slightly affected, just manifesting the impression of the 
cause, by a slight droo'piness or “looking sick.” Care- | 
fully remove the dirt from around the plants down below ] 
the point where the seed was deposited, and in most 
cases a hull will be found girdling the neck with a fibrous 
ligatnre; or pressing its pungent acrimonious fuz against 
its side, where it produces a yellow or brownish spot, 
more or less extensive, the sure index of disease. If the 
morbid condition produced by partial contact is not too 
extensive, genial weather and good culture will sometimes 
enable the injured plant to recover; but it produces a 
weakly plant, especially liable to the attack of lice. Push 
on the examination toother plants that are nearly but not 
quite dead, and the same circumstances and conditions 
will be found prevailing to a greater extent, so that now 
the impending death may be clearly traced to its true 
cause. 
The dying victim is .still able to identify the assassin. 
Interrogate him and he will reply, “I have been strangu- 
lated by this vile ligature around the vital point at which 
my life began ;” or “my young and delicate skin, at a vital 
point, whence decay is easily and rapidly propagated, has 
been poisoned — corroded — ulcerated by this pungent hull 
which I have been unable to cast off.” Finding this con- 
dition the invariable antecedent of the death of young cot- 
ton, let ns inquire if either of the circumstances common- 
ly alledged as the cause, sustains a similar relation. Is 
cold weather, or cold nights and warm days, an invariable 
antecedent of this dying off of young cotton? A moment’s 
reflection will compell every observing planters to say 
“no.” 
Are either of these conditions sufficient to kill cotton 
in bunches ? No ; for if so they would kill rows or fields 
at the same time. Is hard ground, or loose unsettled 
ground an immediate antecedent? No; for these oppo- 
sites exist in the same field at the same time, and cotton 
dies in both alike. But as the principal is identified, and 
the foul deed proven upon him could not have been ac- 
complished alone, let us inquire v>7ho was accessoiy be- 
fore the fact. Unquestionably the planter, who does not 
plant so as to aid and not obstruct the normal accomplish- 
ment of the germinating process, is the culpable accessory 
to the death of his cotton. 
Planting too deep, or when the ground is too wet, leav- 
ing the surface of the ridge where the cotton is to come 
up covered with clods, or in such shape that dirt can be 
washed on to it by rain, is in common practice, and sure 
to obstruct the healthy coming up, by preventing the re- 
moval of the hull from the neck of the young plant. But 
it is said that the period and circumstances, attending the 
dying off of cotton this season, when compared with other 
seasons, have been exactly reversed. Generally the early 
planting suffers most. But this season the latest planting 
died most extensively, after the ground had become warm, 
and moist, genial weather prevailed, which should have 
made the seed come up quickly and grow off healthily. 
In what respect, then, did the late planting of this year 
(lifler from the late planting, and correspond with the 
early planting of other years ? 
The backwardness of the spring had somewhat delayed 
the beginning of cotton planting, which was still further 
retarded by the unprecedented April freeze, which caused 
the planting over of almost the entire coni crop. Some 
cotton, earliest up, and killed by frost, had to be planted 
over, and some land that had been long bedded, required 
to be freshened up. These things forced an unusual quan- 
tity of work into the period of cotton planting. An unusu- 
al quantity of rain with occasional light frosts, leading 
planters to fear a late killing frost; intimidated and ren- 
dered them unsettled as to the propriety of pushing for- 
ward the planting to completion. Thus, up to the last 
week of April, an unusual quantity of cotton remained un- 
planted. 
Planters now began to grow desperate, and decided that 
whenever a mule could be got to the field without miring, 
the seed must go into the ground whether they ever came 
