148 
CULTIVATION OF COTTON.—NO. IV. 
grass chopped out with the hoe, especially if there 
has been rain, for then, there springs up a grass, 
called by the opposite names of sour or saltpetre 
grass; not that I fear any injury to the crop, only 
as furnishing more trash to get into the cotton 
when gathering, or keeping the earth wet in the 
mornings by dews. I forthwith prepare for gath¬ 
ering cotton any leisure time (as our saving-fodder 
time is now at hand), such as making baskets, sacks, 
cleaning up gin-house, &c., &c. 
In all this country each hand has a cotton sack 
and cotton basket for picking; the first made out 
of stout, yard-wide Lowell goods, by cuttingoff one 
and a third to one and a half yards, doubling and 
sewing one side and end. On the open end attach 
a strip of cotton doubled, long enough, when over 
the shoulder, to keep the sack off the ground when 
standing erect, this is sewed on each side so as 
when the right arm and head are passed through, 
similar to the belt of the bayonet or broad-sword, 
the weight rests on the left shoulder, and the sack 
against the right hip. When picking, the cotton 
is placed in this sack until full, which will weigh 
from 15 to 20 pounds, and then emptied into the 
hamper or basket, placed in a central point of the 
day’s picking. This is made of young white oak, 
some 3 to 5 or 6 inches in diameter, growing in 
low ground, by cutting off a piece about seven feet 
long, quartering, and then splitting into splits about 
three quarters to an inch wide, and as thick as a 
case-knife blade, and ribs somewhat thicker. Take 
according to size of basket wanted, 
some 15 to 22 or 23 of these ribs, 
and lay them on the ground cross¬ 
ing each other thus, and commence 
weaving in the splits as near to the 
central point as possible, by fasten¬ 
ing to the bottom rib first, running 
over and under until all round ; in¬ 
sert an odd rib, for 15 or 20 will give an even num¬ 
ber of ribs, each long one making in fact two, and 
if an even number, the splits will round all alike ; 
but by having an odd one, the rib that was outside 
comes next inside, &c. After the bottom is filled 
up the size wanted, double the ribs over on the 
bottom, press on them with the foot all round until 
they will assume, more or less, an erect position, 
then continue around until the proper height. Now 
double down the rib so as to enclose the last split, 
and run the end down into splits, so as to make 
fast. Get out now two pieces of the white oak, 
about one third of an inch thick, take off the cor¬ 
ners with a drawing-knife, put one on the inside, 
the other outside of the last split around the top of 
the basket, and wrap it well with thin, narrow 
splits, over and under the last split. This basket 
should do for two seasons, the bottom of my largest 
is about 27 inches across, and about two feet high, 
will hold about 150 pounds of cotton, or three bush¬ 
els of shelled corn in the ear. 
The next thing is cotton-scaffolds for sunning the 
cotton, I only use the shed attached to my gin- 
house, 62 feet long, and 12 wide. The best made 
use of by our neatest planters, are made of plank, 
attached with hinges (like a folding leaf table re¬ 
versed), and resting on a frame-work, so that at 
at night, or a rain threatening the leaves can be 
folded up, and shelter the cotton. The first of 
these was described to me 10 years ago by the late 
Mr. William Bacon, who was at that time the 
most systematic cotton-planter I knew—a North¬ 
erner. Other kinds of scaffolds are made by cut¬ 
ting cane about five to six feet long, and weaving 
together with linn-bark, of a tree called here linn or 
wahoo, and laid crosswise on stakes and poles. 
Others split out boards. 
The gin-house now undergoes a rigid examina¬ 
tion. The gin-stand should be sent off to the gin- 
wright, if necessary; the band be put in order, 
which should have been well greased, and hung 
up out of the way in the winter ; the running gear 
trained, plummed, and leveled; and the house 
again thoroughly cleaned out, as it is presumed it 
was done, when the last season’s ginning was done. 
I use a 60-saw gin-stand ; a light draught for four 
mules, the running gear being Philadelphia castings 
for a 12-foot wheel, fastened to a wooden wheel 
by bolts and nuts. I could give you a minute de¬ 
scription of number of cogs in wheel, and in spur 
or trundle-head, size of band-wheel, and speed of 
the saws; but as I purpose to make an examina¬ 
tion into this matter the ensuing month among my 
intelligent brethren in the southwest part of this 
state, I will postpone and communicate to you 
hereafter in the east. 
To make fine cotton, there is certainly much de¬ 
pending on the gin-stand, the speed, &c., in aid of 
which there are a variety of improvements, as the 
flue, false grates, and a thrasher, though of these 
hereafter; for the present I think the flue will en¬ 
tirely supersede all others. As I think of conclu¬ 
ding with my last article, and have yet only given 
you two pages, I will offer some views I have on 
the handling of cotton, though their correctness is 
questioned by many; yet as account sales are 
“ stubborn things,” I may be allowed to hold on, 
until there is a demonstration to the contrary. 
Cotton should be gathered from the field as clean 
as possible, taken to the scaffolds and dried until 
the seed will crack when pressed between the 
teeth, not crush or mash, but crack, with some 
noise. It should be frequently turned over and 
stirred (all the trash and rotten pods taken out 
while this is being done), so as to insure its drying 
earlier. 
If seeds are wanted for planting, gin the cotton 
immediately, and spread the seed over the floor 
some five inches thick, until perfectly dry. If the 
cotton-seed be not wanted, pack the seed-cotton 
away into the house, to remain until a gentle heat 
is discovered, or until sufficient for ginning; after 
it has heated until a feeling of warmth to the hand, 
and it looks as if pressed together, open out and 
scatter to cool. This cotton will gin faster, have a 
softer feel, is not so brittle, therefore not so liable 
to break by rapidity of gin, and has a creamy color; 
the wool has imbibed a part of the oil that has 
exuded by the warmth of seed, and is in fact re¬ 
stored to the original color; for the oil being vege¬ 
table, it is dissipated by sun and air, and the color 
by moisture (of rain and dews) and light. I have 
known of a number of sales made of this descrip¬ 
tion of cotton, and even those who are most strenu¬ 
ous against the heating, admit it bore a better price. 
(Fig. 35.) 
