THE SOUTHERN CULTI\ ATOR. 
13 
of th cottoa plant; the correctness, and even 
superiority of which, I hope to establish as 
clearly iiere, as in practice it has so triun phant- 
ly succeeded. The constant and invariable 
succe.^s which attends this improvement in my 
hands, is the result of a strict and sc-nipulous ad- 
herence to Si/stem in its manage. nent. Every sci- 
ence and everv prolession among men, which is 
either useful or valuable, acquires both respect 
and ini '-ortance on account of system. System 
is essential to certain success in every under- 
taking; and especially is it necessary in this 
first oi' all professions. The principal object 
I have had in view, in all this manuring, thor- 
ough plowing, laying off and bedding the land 
previous to planting the seed, has not been to 
plant alone; men plant abstractly, as handsome- 
ly and with the same facility, with less labor; 
it has been done to encourage and facilitate the 
early and extensive growth of the fibrous and 
soil roots, by which means the plant readily and 
equally early, augments the e.xtent of surface 
(in number and length ol its limbs,) forlruiting, 
and the consequent number ol its organs of at- 
mos, heric nutrition. The immense advanta- 
ges 'wiiich the plant derives Irom an early ac- 
complishment of an object so desirable, are at 
once obvious when we recollect -‘that the soil 
and atmosphere offer the same kind of nourish- 
ment to the roots and leaves of the plant. 
There can be no reasonable doubt, though I 
possess not the means of positive measurement, 
but that the plant multiplies its organs of at- 
mospheric nutrition in precisely the same ratio 
that an improved and j'^^dicious system of cul- 
ture facilitates the growth and prosperity of its 
roots. There is also another interesting consid- 
eration connected with this subject, which I es- 
teem worthy of notice in this place; which is, 
that though the soil and atmosphere offer the 
same kind of nourishment to the roots and leaves 
of the plant, yet the character of its assimilation 
and consequent appropriation -widely differ. 
Myo-wn opinion is, that the roots assimilate 
food lor the production of the stems and leaves 
mainly, and that the leaves assimilate the same 
for the production and maturity of the blooms 
and fruit. I do not claim originality for this 
opinion; 1 think 1 have seen it hinted at in some 
work on vegetable physiology, though I cannot 
now say where.* I have been governed by this 
impression, at least in conducting my experi- 
ments, which have not as yet been of a suffi- 
ciently varied character to enable me to deter- 
mine and assert the fact positively. My atten- 
tion was first called to this interesting subject 
while investigating the cause and effect of rust 
upon the cotton plant, w'^hich every planter has 
seen, some of the features of w’hich would seem 
to strengthen this position. How desirable is 
it, then, if all ihis be fact, that -tve adopt such 
system in our after management as will not only 
preserve this natural chain of action unimpair- 
ed, but encourage its progressive prosperity! It 
is not enough, however, that we thus dismiss 
this part of the subject; its importance requires 
of us a much mors simple and extended vie-wn 
We will commence then, at that age of the 
plant at which it is first worked, by examining 
the roots of twm stalks: we pull up one in the 
ordinary way of thinning cotton, that is, w'e take 
hold of the stem and draw it up, and we have a 
single long root (in most instances) tapering to 
a point; we have simply the tap-root. We will 
take up the other with a spade or hoe, the stalk 
standing in the centre of some six to eight inch- 
es square of soil; wm then gently sift or shake 
the soil from the roots, and we have a fair spe- 
cimen of the cotton root; -w’e have -what is pro- 
perly meant by tap-root, a plant wdth a main 
root long and tap-like or tapering, dipping deep 
into the soil; be.side this tap root, however, we 
'Since writing the above, I see, in a report of the 
silting of the .\cademy of Sciences for August the 14th, 
a paper was received from IM. Dulrochet, on the pro- 
duction and ripening of fruits. This gentleman stales 
“that the removal of the leaves of fruit trees, in order 
to expose the fruit to the direct influence of the air and 
light, is exceedingly destructive.” I suppose he means 
destructive to the fruit. If so, his experiments would 
seem to corroborate this opinion. 
find an almcsl innumerable quantity of fibrous 
or surface roots cii i ging in every direction, as 
long in many in- . ces a.s the tap root itself, 
and coming out g-;.erally from one-halt to one 
inch below the surlaee. This is a fact worthy 
of notice, with which every planter may, if not 
already aware of it, acquaint himself early the 
next season. This may appear to som.e persons 
a very simple and a very trivial investigation, 
yet I find in it a most satisfactory solution of the 
immense injury which the cotton plant sustains 
from the multifarious policy ol the country. 1 
remark then, as the plant comes forward, so the 
tap root (where it exists, though an unnecessa- 
r}' appendage in our climate,) sinks deep into 
the soil, while the fibrous or surface roots mul- 
tiply and shoot in every direction; hence 1 say, 
“as early as possibly convenient” altertheplanl 
is up, “plow out the middles ivell, the wide way, 
having first run around the plant with a scooter 
plow.” The main object in this operation, is 
once more, before the surface roots have come 
out so far as to sustain injury, to thoroughly 
loosen the soil and again commingle it with the 
manure. The plant being now thinned down 
to two or three stalks in a place, and a small 
quantity of soil molded about the hill, is left in 
this most fit vorable and growing situation. In 
the course of .some fifteen to twenty days, when 
we return to work it again, it will be found to 
have come forward rapidly, standingfrom 1'2 to 
15 inches in height and finely limbed. If we 
now take the trouble to examine a hill or stalk, 
we shall find an amount of earth included with- 
in the circuit of these fibrous and soil roots, as 
they penetrate all parts of the loamy mold in 
pursuit of the luscious geine, (like a flock ol 
shee]-' fresh upon a rich pasture,) that will weigh 
more than a hand can tote. With these facts 
before us, let us turn our attention lor a moment 
to the practices of the country at this stage of 
operations. One planter will now commence 
work, and the plant standing from lO to 12 inch- 
es high, “with a bull-tongue or scooter plow,” 
and he will dagger into the soil, as close to the 
plant as he can possibly get, some 3 to 4 inches 
deep — he says, “to loose up the earth, that the 
tap-root mny go down.” Another planter will 
again, the second and third time, run the bar of 
a turn plow to the cotton — he says, “to kill the 
grass;” thus it stands bedded in the middles, and 
“steaming” a lew days, when these hot beds are 
plowed out; though I have even seen it barred 
the third time before plowing out the middles! 
All this may answer the purpose fully, and even 
look very well to the planter that operates to kill 
grass; but we have a latent cause operating de- 
structively in this practice, and though the cer- 
tain effect is not always willingly recognized in 
the turning yellow and falling leaves of the 
plant, it is not however the less obvious. The 
planters operating thus, will tell you, in the 
first instance, “this cotton has received a fine 
working; there’s not a sprig of grass or weeds 
to be seen; but it does not grow off as it should; 
this hllle dry spell has checked its growth.” But 
partial showers may have fallen upon the other 
man’s cotton; he says, “See my cotton; how 
cL'an and nice it is worked, though it is too wet 
aid does not grow; rainy weather does not suit 
cotton.” This is the logic (I will not say uni- 
versal) of the devotees of this grass killing poli- 
cy, in accounting for its disastrous consequen- 
ces, and will, 1 am sure, be very readily recog- 
nized as such by every impartial man. Now, 
the truth is, I will illustrate the whole difficulty 
here, by a vmry simple, though rather uncouth 
simile; it is however not the le.ss pertinent to my 
present purpose, because men are not to be ben- 
efitted, nor will they improve in the practice of 
any science or profession, unless they exercise 
the faculties of thinking and reasoning, though 
suce exercise be bought at the expense of de- 
cent ridicule. We will suppose the planter 
operation in this was. having received a pair 
of fine Berkshire pigs, says to his trusty man. 
Sambo, “take this bushel of corn to the barn- 
yard and feed those pigs well; 1 want them to 
grow large and fat” Well, Sambo, always 
anxious to carry out the views of his master. 
and having carefully watched his operations in 
the treatment of his cotton, to make it grew 
large, takes up the basket, and then providing 
himself with a hammer or hatchet, he proceeds 
to the yard; he first takes hold upon the gentle, 
unsuspecting grunters, one by one, and with his 
instrument he knocks or breaks out their teeth, 
and then throwing down the coin, he returns to 
the house with spirits buoyant in the conscious- 
ness of having so consistently discharged his 
duty! “Well, Sambo, you have given those 
pigs plenty of corn, ha!” “Yes, sir, they are 
well led.” In a few days he takes a friend to 
look at the fine Berkshires. Yes, Sambo has 
given them coin plentifully; there it lies by 
ihem! But this is too plain a case; the pigs 
have the teclh-ache, and they are broken off, too! 
neither the wet nor the dry weather has caused 
the mi.schief here! And yet the pigs, like the 
cotton, have only their teeth broken of!! Poor 
Sambo! we leave him to explain to the world 
the rationale of this root and teeth breaking po- 
licy. N. B. Cloud, M. D. 
Macon Co., Ala., Nov. 1, 1843. 
From the Albany Cultivator. 
LETTER OF MR. ELLSWORTH— BOMMER’S 
PATEN'l'. 
We invite the attention ol the readers of the 
Cultivator to the annexed letter of the Hon. Mr. 
Ellsworth, chief of the Patent office at Wasli- 
ington, on the subject of patents, and the claims 
of Mr. Bommer in paiticular. There is no 
subject in the whole range of agricultuie, of 
more interest to the farmer, than that ol manures; 
and any improvement in its manufacture, by 
which its quantity and quality may be increas- 
etl, will be received by them with favor. That 
manures made in the way recommended by Mr. 
Bommer, or according to the patent claimed by 
him, are of superior quality, no one acquainted 
wfith that method can doubt. But if, as Mr. 
Ellsworth seems inclined to suppose, it is only 
the French method, with some unimportant ad- 
ditions, so far as the making of the manure, or its 
quality is concerned, that method should be 
generally known, that all may avail themselves 
of its advantages, and we thank Mr. Ellsworth 
for enabling us to give the specifications a place 
in the Cultivator. We have given the large 
pamphlet, just published by Mr. Bomnrer, and 
contaii ing an ample account of his method and. 
its advantages, a copy of which he has kindly 
placed in our hands, an attentive perusal, and 
can safely say there are few, if any, publica- 
tions on the subject there discussed, whatever 
may be their pretensions, which combine such 
a mass of practical instruction on the prepara- 
tion and mse of manures. Ol the legality of the 
patent under which he is acting, we do not ex- 
press an opinion ; but we know' that the method 
used by him, and described in the pamphlet, a 
copy of which is furnished every purchaser of a 
right, w'ill make manure in any'quantity, and of 
the best quality for afimost every kind of cultiva- 
ted crop. Of the French method, as described 
in the specifications, w'e are not competent to 
judge, having never witnessed its effects; w'e 
should, hou'ever, prefer purchasing Mr. B.’s 
book, in which the whole process is detailed. 
LETTER FROM MR. ELLSWORTH. 
WASHINGTON City, ( 
Patent Office, Nov. 3, 1843. 5 
Messrs. Gaylord if* Tucker : — I noticed in your 
last number of the Cultivator, ju>t at hand, a 
particular notice of Bommf r’s process — also his 
advertisement announcing “Bommer’s manure 
method, secured by letters patent,” and lelerring 
to “documents recorded in the patent office,” to 
prove his rights. This advertisement has great- 
ly increased the burden of answering requests 
for copies of “Bommer’s Patent.” Whilst I 
have studiously avoided expressing an opinion 
on cases pending or decided, yet as special re- 
ference is now made to the bureau to sustain the 
advertisement, and fearing that the public may 
be misled by my silence, 1 hasten to .state the 
facts as they appear of record. Mr. Bommer, 
on the l2th of May, 1843, presented an anplica 
