32 
CULTIVATION OF COTTON.—NO. II. 
near the front end, let in a piece 2 1-2 by 1 inch (c) 
long enough to pass through the beam, and have 
holes in it and one in the beam, so as to raise or 
drop the lower piece; the front end of the lower 
piece (a) has a shovel of some size, but to project 
below aoout half an inch. 
(Fig. 21.) 
I am very particular to open the furrows as 
straight as possible ; if on level land, or a regular 
curve; if on hilly, or rolling land. The sower now 
follows with seed in an apron, and scatters them 
along in the narrow furrow by shaking the hand, 
so as to cause each seed to fall separate if possible. 
This furrow being from 1-2 to 3-4 of an inch 
•deep, can not be covered deep, which would be an 
injury, seed coming up with more certainty if light¬ 
ly covered. The nature of the seed requiring the 
leaves, which are folded or rolled up with the radi¬ 
cle or root in the centre, to rise up before the 
plume or future stalk can start. The bean will 
serve to explain somewhat, as it is more generally 
known, the radicle or root of it plunges down into 
the earth, while dhe two cotyledons or the halves 
of the bean, rise with the plume or future stem 
between them, though the plume of the bean does 
sometimes rise when the cotyledons do not, nor 
can they, from being too deep, or the earth too 
hard, which never takes place with the cotton- 
plant. 
The coverer I use, is therefore made to suit the 
object in view, as follows: Take a piece of oak 
timber IS inches long, 6 wide, and 2 to 2 1-2 inch¬ 
es thick; one edge to be slightly concave, the 
other rounded off, so as to present this appearance. 
(Fig. 22.) 
Cotton Seed Cover. 
I then get the centre from end to end, and from it 
slope gradually to each end, leaving the ends half 
an inch thick or less; this is the front of it. 
I fasten it with a bolt to the chip of a shovel- 
plow, cutting out of the back of it enough to per¬ 
mit the bolt to be fastened by a nut, as also to 
make it lighter. The object of rounding the top 
is, to lessen the weight, as also the quantity of 
earth it would carry. It is made with two sloping 
surfaces in front, so as to sweep off more earth; 
and is hollowed out on the lower edge so . as to 
leave the bed slightly rounded to carry off the 
water. 
I prefer planting about one half the cotton crop 
about ten days before the remainder, that too 
much necessary work will not be required at the 
same time; if a rainy spell of weather now, or 
any other backset should cause detention in work¬ 
ing over the first time, grass and weeds will have 
taken such hold, that the farmer will find as hard 
work as in fighting fire; but if only the one half 
be planted first, the last half will not be pressing. 
I plant upland at 4 feet apart between the rows ; 
2d low ground at 5 feet distance. Any farmer 
will find there is very much to be gained by put¬ 
ting his land in fine order before he plants; even 
if a few days later planting than his careless neigh¬ 
bor, he will soon overtake him in cleaning his crop, 
besides his crop is not checked in growth; and he 
would do well to so pitch his crop, that his corn 
could get one working, before his cotton would re¬ 
quire it. 
Before giving you the cultivation of the plant, I 
will describe the seed that I have found to be the 
best, not only in producing, but in gathering the 
largest weights per hand. The seed is covered 
with a short, perfectly white furze, called Mexican, 
when fresh it is small, but after being cultivated 
in the United States it becomes longer, gradually 
losing the white fibres, or changing to a germe. 
The Pettit gulf seed is the same, only it is care¬ 
fully selected and kept pure, by the planters in the 
vicinity of the gulf hills near Rodney—this part of 
the Mississippi river being called Pettit gulf. This 
cotton not only produces more, but the bowls (that 
contain the cotton and seed) open out wider, and 
it is therefore easier gathered and picked. 
Many persons, in circling their hilly land, do it 
a greater injury than in plowing up and down the 
hills, because their furrows being inclined, the 
water has only a longer distance to flow, thus ac¬ 
cumulating in quantity, velocity, and force; where¬ 
as, if they were correctly run off, the water should 
lie in the furrow as on level land. In doing this, 
the curve should be as regular as the nature of the 
land will permit, for the purpose of admitting the 
plows to be run close up to the plant, which could 
not be, if in a zigzag course. 
If the cotton-seed be moistened and rolled with 
ashes and earth, so that the lint or furze be com¬ 
pressed, the moisture of the earth being thus 
brought directly in contact with the hull or seed, 
it will vegetate earlier, and will require less seed 
per acre. 
I throw up my cotton bed as flat as I can to 
break out deep, and leave the water furrow well 
open, thus permitting the superfluous water to 
steep from the bed, and the earth to become warm¬ 
er, this being necessary to the quick growth of the 
plant. I have now given you a minute detail of 
the planting, not more so than is necessary to the 
tyro; my next will be working the plant. 
M. W. Philips. 
We have never known, personally, a free martin 
to breed, but have heard in an indirect way of their 
doing so in two instances. If any of our corre¬ 
spondents have more knowledge than ourselves 
upon this subject, the facts would be interesting, 
and we should feel obliged for an account of the 
same. 
