30 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
attends this improvement in my hands, is the result of a 
strict and scrupulous adherence to system in its manage¬ 
ment. Every science and every profession among men, 
which is either useful or valuable, acquires both respect 
and impor ance on account of system. System is essen¬ 
tial to certain success in every undertaking; and espe¬ 
cially is it necessary in this first of all professions. The 
principal object we have had in view, in all this manur¬ 
ing, thorough plowing, laying off and bedding the land 
previous to planting the seed, has not been to plant alone; 
men plant abstractly, as handsomely and with the same 
facility, with less labor; it has been done to encourage 
and facilitate the early and extensive growth of the fi¬ 
brous and soil roots, by which means the plant readily, 
and equally early, augments the extent of surface (in 
number and length of its limbs,) for fruiting, and the 
consequent number of its organs of atmospheric nutri¬ 
tion. The immense advantages which the plant derives 
from an early accomplishment of an object so desirable, 
is at once obvious when we recollect “ that the soil and 
atmosphere offer the same kind of nourishment to the 
roots and leaves of the plant.” There can be no reason¬ 
able doubt, though we possess not the means of positive 
measurement, but that the plant multiplies its organs of 
atmospheric nutrition in precisely the same ratio that an 
improved and judicious system of culture facilitates the 
growth and prosperity of its roots. There is also an¬ 
other interesting consideration connected with this sub¬ 
ject, which I esteem 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. My own opinion is, that the 
roots assimilate food for 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; I think I 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 sufficiently varied 
character to enable me to determine and assert the fact 
positively. My attention was first called to this interest¬ 
ing subject while investigating the cause and effect of 
rust upon the cotton plant, which every planter has seen, 
some of the features of which would seem to strengthen 
this position. How desirable is it, then, if all this be 
fact, that we adopt such system in our after management 
as will not only preserve this natural chain of action un¬ 
impaired, 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 
more simple and extended view. 
We will commence then, at that age of the plant at 
which it is first worked, by examining the roots of two 
stalks: we pull up one in the ordinary way of thinning 
cotton, that is, we take hold of the stem and draw it up, 
and we have a single long root (in most instances) taper¬ 
ing 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 center of some six to eight inches square of soil; 
we then gently sift or shake the soil from the roots, and 
we have a fair specimen of the cotton root: we have 
what is properly meant by tap-root, a plant with a main 
root long and tap-like or tapering, dipping deep into the 
soil; beside this tap root, however*, we find an almost 
innumerable quantity of fibrous or surface roots diverg¬ 
ing in every direction, as long in many instances as the 
tap root itself, and coming out generally from one-half 
to one inch below the surface. 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 some persons a very simple and a very 
trivial investigation, yet I find in it a most satisfactory 
* Since writing the above, I see, in a report of the sitting of 
the Academy of Sciences for August the 14th, a paper was re¬ 
ceived from M. Dutrochet, on the production and ripening of 
fruits. This gentleman states “ 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. 
solution of the immense injury which the cotton plant 
sustains from the multifarious policy of the country. I 
remark then, as the plant comes forward, so the tap-root 
(where it exists, though an unnecessary appendage in 
our climate,) sinks deep into the soil, while the fibrous 
or surface roots multiply and shoot in every direction; 
hence, I say, “as early as possibly convenient ” after 
the plant is up, “ plow out the middles well , 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 1 come out so far as to sus¬ 
tain injury, to thoroughly the soil and again com¬ 
mingle it with the manure. The plant being now thin¬ 
ned down to two or three stalks in a place, and a small 
quantity of soil molded about the hill, is left in this 
most favorable 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, 
standing from 12 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 within the cir¬ 
cuit of these fibrous and soil roots, as they penetrate all 
parts of the loamy mold in pursuit of the luscious geine, 
(like a flock of sheep fresh upon a rich pastux*e,) that 
will weigh more than a hand can tote. With these facts 
before us, let us tui*n our attention for a moment to the 
practices of the country at this stage of operations. One 
planter will now commence work, and the plant standing 
from 10 to 12 inches high, “ with a bull-tongue or scoo¬ 
ter 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 may 
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 gi*ass;” thus it stands bedded in the 
middles, and “steaming” a few 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 gi*ass; but we have a 
latent cause operating destructively in this practice, and 
though the certain effect is not always willingly recog¬ 
nized in the turning yellow aud 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 little dry spell has checked its growth.” 
But partial showei*s may have fallen upon the other man’s 
cotton; he says, “ See my cotton; how clean and nice 
its worked, though it is too wet, and does not grow; 
rainy weather does not suit cotton.” This is the logic 
(I will not say universal,) of the devotees of this grass 
killing policy, in accounting for its disastrous consequen 
ces, and will, I am sure, be very readily recognized as 
such by every impartial man. Now, the truth is, I will 
illustrate the whole difficulty here, by a very simple, 
though rather uncouth simile; it is however not the less 
pertinent to my present purpose, because men are not to 
be benefitted, nor will they improve in the pi’actice of 
any science or profession, unless they exercise the fac¬ 
ulties of thinking and reasoning, though such exercise 
be bought at the expense of decent ridicule. We will 
suppose the planter operating in this way, having re¬ 
ceived 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; I want them to grow large and 
/af.” Well, Sambo, always anxious to carry out the 
views of his master, and having cai*efully watched his 
operations in the treatment of his cotton, to make if grow 
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 corn, he 
returns to the house with spirits buoyant in the con¬ 
sciousness of having so consistently discharged his duty!: 
et Well, Sambo, you have given those pigs plenty of 
corn, ha ?” “ Yes, sir, they are well fed.” In a few 
days he takes a friend to look at the fine Berkshires. 
Yes, Sambo has given them corn plentifully; there it 
