Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-09-06
From the Southern Agriculturist.
Cotton Culture.

From the Southern Agricalturis,,
Cotton Culture.
MIR. Edi:or.-It is proposed in this com.
munication to furnish few rules best Cal.
culated 10 secure the highest production ol
cotton to the hand, and many OF tbs secret
CAUSES OF failure and as the writer designs
it more for the benefit Of young than old
planters, he hopes the more common sug.
gestions it contains will be overlooked by
those who might regard them as "a thrice.
told tale."
In selecting lands for the cultivation OF
cotton, their location and quality are essen.
tial conside, a,ions. They should be fertile,
and have proper mixture ofsand and clay.
If fertile, lay of nine acres TO the hand /;
if old and thin, ten or twelve would be a
fair crop. Lands that are stiff and old
should be mellowed by early ploughing,
when the soil is neither too dry nor wet, for
all lands are injured if,hey do not pulverize
in the ploughing, and when very dry they
bake, and your working them is generally
lost labor; if practicable, this ploughng
should be before March. Where the land
is fat, so that water stands, bed high; and
ifin mellow by one ploughng, bed up twice.
Open bed for seed with narrow plough,
followed by press plough soak the seed
III stable or yard liquid manure, and after
the soaking roll them in ashes. Sow them
in direct lines, at least three seed to every
inch and cover. then, with board nailed
to the plough stock with a gap over the
seed. A week before planting, the seed
should be tried to know ifthey would sprout
or vegetaie by soaking. After thick stand
is up, run narrow plough with board 10
shove down OF each side in two or three
days, follow this furrow by plough TO
throw back the earth 10 the cotton. Ex-
anime the cotton roo s TO see If many arc
dead or belied by black circle ifso, chop
out sparingly, and only where the stand is
very thick, but if :" all is WE'LL" chop out so
so as to leave a foot vacancy between
each bunch. II the stand will not admit a
stalk of sound cotton to every foot before
you chop out, plough up and plant again if
not later than the first of May : if however
the stand appears safe when chopping out,
run plough after the choppers to throw
UP the earth, and fill the chop.holes.
Stand safe, begin TO thin all hands" by
the hand. without the hoe. pulling up weekly.
unhealthy stalks, and leaving those more
vigorous and growing. Pull up also with
the hand all the large weeds aud grass near
the stalk. After this is over follow with
another furrow, then the hoe ; and not a
single stalk ever again 10 be cut or bruised.
The two first Ploughings should be deep-all
after, s'aa2lov and an interval of more than
three weeks should never pass without a
ploughing, until the crop is /" laid BY" II
I" the old" grass is killed, late ploughing Is
useless. The tasks IN hoeing are one 'o
two acres, or more properly, according Il
the grass.
What are the causes Of failure in cotton
crop? They are many, but shall enum.
crate but one or two ofthose most common,
and which can he avoided. Thinning with
the hoe, negroes will Gu, up cotton, case
not what vigilance is exercised the worse
the stand, the easier the after.work for them
and they know it. You may complain-yor
may punish--and yet turn your eyes away
for ten minutes, and I'll engage as many
stalks will be cut up by each hand within
tho time. Though it may be so, still il
should not appear strange to the novice
that such is The universal observation un'
derlake to say ofevery strict planter. No
one planter in fifty ever secures a slanc
where the hoe is used in thinning their
watchfulness or severity to the contrary
notwithstanding they may partially, bu
cannot fully remedy the evil with alllher carr
and attention, The slave, as before OBJ
served, is Interested 10 make the presen
and every future task easy to be worked
and by experienced craft, unless your ey
is on the very stalk at the tine, can Gu
it up, so that you will not be able to fin
whence i, came. You must 60 before hin
and his hoe, and examine the stand, or il
spite ofyourself you will be duped and de
ceived.
If the overseer is over the hands, he doe
no. like to bear the charge Of neglect in de
lection or is deceived and joins the negr
in affirming IS no stand was there before,
-" it died OUT" &c.
1t requires too, a close eye and stead
hand to Gu, one stalk, and leave anolhe
within an inch or two oft; which hardl
one hand in ten has the care or ability to d.
as it should be done, and then lie follow
as an excuse. Again: Where bunch
grass is nrornd the cotton. the hnck mus