Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1841-12-14
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From ths Plough Boz.


From tke Plough Boz.
hEaogr OF THg COMMITTEE .fPoisrEp BY
rHE AGRICULTURAL sociETY Oh oAaRRipGk'
on eoVTos.
T4ic Committee TO whom was referred The
consideration Of Cotton, beg leave to Report
Tint thew have bestowed upon The subject,
nh The attention demanded by lis great aud iti-
tri,,sic value; and now respectfully submit tne
re.,t of the- deliberations 10 the notice oi this
Society.
There aro few subjects that demand SO mucl,
iof ,ths attention Of the. Southern Planter, and
h, which his pecuniary interest Is 30 much m
waived, as tire production Of this Srea. staple
And no other Agricultural production calls into
reGuisi,ion so many Of the intellectual puwers
Of man.
The Co,lon tree OF shrub is an Indigenous
plant. growing spontaneously in various parts
,f the South and South West, but II IS ny the
ssricics, attention and greatest pains. That Il can
be sufficiently domesticuicd 10 become oi any
practical utility TO man. And ironl tiie weak
-, and most feeble Of all plants, II becomes py
tho care and industry OF man, the undisPh'ea
Sampson of the vegetable world.
The selection and preparation OF inc soh; lor
the best production oa this nseiui coilli'ouiy'
adlait OF such conflicting opinions AMONG man.
Li,5 that your Committee will be necessarily
rnn,neIled. (confined within the narrow limits
of reporp to give only The result o' Weir OWN
experience and observation.
The soil mos, suitable. for the production oi
C.o,inn. in this section Of our common country,
i tho Eght broscn mulalio soil; participating III
rho nature of both clay and sandy soilS, being
lin. co,ningled, it is rendered much more pro.
duciiye. The clay s,il being too tenacious, and
the sandy, TOO porus. TO admi, oi that rapid
Growth. which might be reasonably anticipated
in this tender plant.
In the preparation ofthc soil; il isa conceded
poiu, thai deep and thesough plonghins is m
disuensible; and your COMMITTEE beg leave to
sns.es, the proprieiy o; making large aud high
bedS' Thew can be most easily made with large
twisted ploushs, afterwards drawn mp with hoes.
No rational man will, for u moment question
the propriety of this process in low aud Hat
lands, and your Committee contends II IS not
without its advantages even in uplands Be-
causc i,may be assumed Us tact no longer sub.
iect to controversy; the more elevated The beds,
lie soouer vii! they be warmed IN the spring by
The genial rays Of the sun, the sooner will The
embedded seed, be germnaied, and the moro
rapid will be the growth Of the younsnnd tender
plant; also the land is less subject 10 become
hard and baked from rains and storms; and II is
more easily cultivated: perhaps the time that
may be considered as last in the preparation. is
regained in the cultivation, 10 say nothing oI the
srea, gain in production.
Your Committee deem IL cxpedleni TO recon-
,rend ,hst these beds should be pretty we'll filed
with manure, especially in nld1ands IL is pre-
sumed that no one will, for moment, doubt
,,a, stable or compost manure, isio be preferred
10 any other kind; but when we contemplate
the great quantity necessary per acre. we are
driven to one OF twoalternatives. either to aban.
don the process Of manuring, or search for
more convenient plan.
The quantity Of compost or stable manure re-
qnisi,e 70. an acre OF Cotton land, IL i've wagon
loads; go loads upon so acres. But most for
tunately for the planter, nature has provided. at
hand, an excellent substitute, as stalks, ieases
straw, &c. &c. whose preparation require not
halfihe labor.
Your Committee would respectfully suggest
fl.at 4 deep furrow. rs early in the season of
preparation n practicable, should be nade with
a common shovel plough, which shonldbe filed
with this vegetable matter and listed in, leaving
The remainder ofihe beds 10 be thrown up, just
before pnlnting, d,Hs making loose and fresh
soil 10 which TO plant.
The advantages accruing from this system of
n,aauring are werihy ofspccial notice. In The
fra place; n, the time Of planting. decomposi-
ton of the vegetable matter Is progressing;
emitting n warmth even 10 The surtacc oi the
beds, which is very advantageous III cold and
wc; springs, to tho early sprouting ot the seed.
md .endins forth Its feeble buds. lfethe second
piace: II reciains the tired and exhausted lands,
enrichiuy aud fertiIzins them, thongh planted
number OF years successively in Cotton.
Having ,hus prepared the soil yonr Commit.
tee proceed 10 the selection aud preparation oi
the seed. and give as the result OF their Observa-
;;un and experience, tiIa, the Petit Gui! aud ii-
yerado SEED are superior TO any other KIND;
bolh Welding about the same quantity ofCo,ton;
she latter the greatest number Su, the former the
!arses, holls, x thcr"oy preferable. The black
ar gr,eu secd shnuld YStU great :nTe be pre-
yenled from ulixin. w,;h the white: because.
when planted, the earth iyiua closer the ind oi
the former, being thinner, they will come up
aooner; and from their ncins tougher, or per
hans more acclimatcd. vii! grow oilias'er; COLI
ErauenIly from their tiouTishlng appearance,
these stalks are eIt al the first aud second hoe
ing; and will invariably yield less. being more
subject to rot. rust. &c,
Your Committee would recommend tiHt IN
the preparallon OF the Sccd, they should De tho
rcashy rubbed IN ashes ios REASONS not 10 he
,l,aae,lor overlooked; ls They are more ea.
a;:iy and regularly dropped % 'rh"y u:e NOR
clo..ly pressed by the soil 3fd They receive
n i,nd OF yiy,iylng or enlivenlus influence from
The ...hcs 10 which they sre rnve!oped causing
hem 80 put rndn ard grow with more strength
aud yigor. llh The ashes prevent the ravasos
OF the caterpillar and other insoc,s.
Your COMMITTEE would remark. ,ha, they
haze invariably prepared their seed rs shove
rec recommended; thu, they have Frequently ey.
u,nined vet never found ihe worm 60 repeat
cLly observed by ollrrsl in the pith Of the old
Cotton stalks. Other advantages, III The opinion
os your Committee, max be derived from ashes.
They are one of the best uIanureS with" the
reach the Cotton planter III ,h's section of our
country; correcting in some measure tho too
great ,suaci,y CT clay, and the TOO great pcros-
~ of the sandy soils. Also. ihere IRE spots IN
mnny of our Cotton fields, subjec, annually TO
the rust, owing doubtless to soinc mineral (prn.
cina,ly iron ore in this section OF onr State. }
Dy the alkaline principle OF ashes this may he
neu,ralized and the rus, prevented.
The Committee will now proceed TO the very
;mportan, prcccss of planting and among the
yarious systems which have been pracrired, that
,r ,,;Ii;rS or spc,,ipg deserves onr highest cog