Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-11-30
From the Columbia Telescope.

The following interesting article on the enl
tire IF Cohon in }2aiY, which in character IS
nearly the same climate with our own, and al
SO on the rotation Of craps, plan Of culture
which We might adopt with great success, is
taken from Bigby's Translation Of Chatean-
,seu,'s Travels. We wish some planter would
try the rotation of crops, hereafter mentioned
The plain of Sorrento is almost tire
only part of the Kingdom of Naples, in
which can be seen the effects of an active
and well-directed industry. Il is also in
his beautiful country that the villagers
have successfully introduced the culture
OF cotton; culture which The usages Of
society have rendered SO necessary. II
had been, before, adopted at Naples ;
but, until within few years, i, was sown
only on small spots, for local and H.
mited consumption. The continental
system having raised the value of this
plant, larger space was allotted TO its
cultivation; and the farmers, in, this
county, proiitting by the natural adYsn-
tages of their Climate. furnished, N the
year 1912, near sixty thousand 6a1cs Of
cotton TO the manufacturers of Europe.
learned the method Of cuitivating the
cotton, on large scale, adopted by the
metaycrs Of Pave de Sorrento, and The
way in which it has been Introduced in
to their regular course of busoandry.
he land is turned over by the shade,
in the mouth of March, and the seeds
are sown in lines, at three feet distant !;
the plants, in the lines, are tzvo ftet asan-
der. The earth is so rich as to require
no manure, but only TO be constantly
kept clean; women are, therefore, en-
ployed during the whole season, in weed
ing the fields of cotton. As soon as the
lowering is over, and the well formed
capsules require only the SUP to ripen
them, the ends ofthe branches are nip
hed of, thus determining all the sap to
the fruit.
The harvest LASTS long while, and
consists in collecting the capsules as they
ripsn. 1t is then only requisite to clear
the cotton by separating il from the
seeds. This operation is long and ts-
dious. They were endeavoring to make
machines to simplify the process; but
have not learned whether they have sue
cecded.
The succession Of crops which am
going to describe, is the result. Il
merits attention., because it is, probably,
the best arranged and the most produc-
tive OF any in the world.
None of the crops, which, in the old
system OF the country, were in mediately
necessary for the farmers subsistence,
could be dispensed with. They, there
fore, continued to begin with the culture
Of maize, (corn) Tor which the land is
manfred. Whea, follows it; beans are
then immediately sown after harvest
This crop being intended to feed cattle
during the winter, is taken'up sufficient
ly early to admit Of The land being pre-
pared to receive the cotton seeds by the
end Of March; after this is harvested,
Wheat is again sown the same autumn,
TO which succeeds the purple clover
Melons are grown aftersthe clover, and
legumcs, planted as soon as the melon
crop is taken off, occupy the ground un-
Ill spring, and finish the course. Its as
follows:
1st year, Maize-manured.
ID do. Wheat, followed by beans.
Sd do. Cotton.
4th do. Wheat, followed by wild clover.
5th do. Melons, followed by legumes.
Five years-eight crops.
This course thus furnishes eight crops
in FIVE years, two Of which are corn,
three are legnminous, one is CONNER
cial, and two are for the support Of ami
mails. 1t is impossible to arrange these
different crops in a better way. The ma
ture ofsheir growth, and the different cul-