Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1843-04-01
Frou, Ms Albany Cuttip4tor
TIE IMPROVED CULTURE OF COT
TON

! propose 1~egoting this paper 10 the Il
tajla of lie rndus nrernndt by which my @
perlmsa's base conducted, together with Il
character Of the soil, s5t.
Previous 10 going into The aetaila bf !
practical application, permit me- TO caIl attat
ton 10 two obvious facts. In The first pfae,
! remark tintt under tho system Of he cot,
try, tho maximum production Of cotton. Mt
ruInous ros'. has ~enunIlta that Of liz eonsuml
ton. | remark, again, upon he flsproportioi
ately large amount Of inferior and poor cotto
lnt4 produced.
To meet both these aifirultias. constitute
bat a part Of the advantages which tbis In
pro'emett offers to the cotton planting iute
Fesfn OF The country. 1t PROPOSES TO NEE
and obviate the former difficulty by producing
az previously stated the present and neeae
sary amount Of cotton, with but one third tb
capital now engaged in is production ; fui
nisfing thereby 10 the planter b direct nm
nett profit ct over 100 per cent upon the pre-
sent marEet price. Again, by fubiac'ing tb
cotton plant 10 this system of Improvement
which favors It's natural afbofesceut growlf
and The more perfect development VI its staple
tho latter difficulty Ia obyiated.
This Improvement, when il sfal! have nj
tanned It's highest state Of perfection, contem
plates the $ system Of rotation in planting
under which the land designed for cotton lie
the previous year in the stale Of faljow, whicI
10 found by experience most favorable TO ia,
growth and truiifulns4s Of the plant. com
mence the preparatory operations for planting
about the lst Of March, by spreading upoi
the land broadcast two or three hundred bush
els of manure per acre, light stock yard ant
| StUbIa pFfupHst fk01 efr,, rfT 49,. 1yrJ -
rows OF three feet with a scooter plough
opering d furrow some three to four inches
deep this dote,I take a large size shove
plough and cross the scooter burrows by rows
running al right angles Of five feet wide. |
am now prepared to commences maturing in
the bill. having first ascertained that | have
2,63O hills on each acre, which will require
BY giving each hill n half gallon Of manurs--
ealDe kind Of cornpost~-ISf bushels nearly,
which | haul on the land In a cart, first grad
uoted 10 a certain number Of bushels, and
with spades likewise prepared for the purpose,
| deposite tire requisite quantity Of manure In
each bill. BY this means which in practice
VIII he found simple and expeditions enough,
| give four to five hundred bushels Of manure
To each acfe~-an infalltble insurance for 5000
lbs. OF a superior staple per acre. As the ma
nure Ia placed in the hilt by rows, The wide
way, a short distance in advance q good plough
hand follows with a turn plough, which should
run into he soil from SIX to eight inches
deep ; at least, and turn well, with which four
burrows are throw n together on each
row thus fixing The half gallon Of manure
IN each hill, entirely within the legion of
constant moisture. This gives me a fine
largo bed, and well broke, to lie until at or
about The first Of April, when the cotton seed
shoptd be planted. This is done by first
opening The bed as shallow as possible With
sone instrument such ~ that described by
". w, Philips, Esq. in the March No. Of the
9th vol. Of the CuItiyator =; it should not be
opened out deeper than one inch Tile bed
thus opened, and the seed previoufy rolled in
ieechcd ashes or sand, which answer very well
though J prefer q compound Of two parts ol
ashes to one OF common salt, made moist
with Water;t the seed vol rolled Ia this, are
carefully dropped over the manure. Fight to
ten seed III 81 place will answer to secure a
stand. There will be no difficulty III drop.
ping The seed oyer the manure in the bill.
when it 10 recoMaased and observed that upoia
the unbroken spare Of some two feet between
each row, the scooter fnFToWs Will be found
an une ring guide to the ~i413arr1re il tie bed
at distances If three feet. The seed thus
dropped prefer to have conversed with a hoe,
llgiBy aud carefully, bearing in mind this
golden t~rdtI,, that "a crop we'll planted ~
nall made" Immediately after planting, tho
mlddica or unbfoks n 5aiks should be p.oagtsed
out. The crop Of cotton thus planted, With
should not exceed three 10 loar acres 10 the
may be performed IN good time and well
done. In a few days, say aine 10 twelve, the
cotton will be up, presenting a most healthy
and thrifty appearance. The next oper atop, |
to be performed az early az possibly couve
nlent, IL 10 plough out the midd!es well, the
vide way. with good shovel plough, having
first run around the young plant with scooter
The .ioes hand follow aud thin the
down to two stalks, giving il a small
Of coil. The operation we'll done, |
he plant is at once placed beyond all danger, |
since it, top root will have taken such a bold
upon the manure below 10 cradle the plant TO
either grass or weeds, having ye. 10 |
sprIng up.
Under this treatment the time consuming
and worse than useless operations Of bar shear
.ng, scraping, and choppIng out, are saved. ss
much TO the benefit Of The tender plant, az to
he interest and economy Of the planter, 10
lespalching the hurry and pnsh at this Stage
the crop and at the Conclusion Of this first
working, have my cotton growing OF and
LONG well. FA4ge no furter use for a plough
n It's subsequent culture, but use the sweep.
kind Of horse hoe, | call it a sweep IN the
lbsence Of a more appropriate name.
This instrument is easily made by any
blacksmith, by laying the wings upon th.
,oint Of a scoo'er in the form of an lsosce.es
which is fastened upon the chip Of a
'hoyet plough stock, by a heel pip in the same
nanuer you would. a shovel. From the tip
II the wings should be 2 feet, forming a kind
# horse shoe by which a row is swapt out at
graduated upon the atock as not to go into the
deeper Than | inch, and as much less as
TO enable it to cut the young grass
weeds that may be srrth-!ng up The
.reat ant singular advantages of the sweep
,ver all Instruments OF the plough, harrow,
II hoe kind that | have ever used are these
it viii kill a greater quantity If grass
lad wcajs n a given tnnes an15ao less INJURY
o The scrface roots Of tne plant 80 essential
0 It's progressive Prosperity. The hoe hands
ing this instrument thin the cotton 10 4
;talds r.,e stalk in a place AID draw up a
'mail quantity of sod TO the stand ag plant.
he entire subseqaen. culture Is performed
With the sweep and hoe. which should simply
.erape and puisefize the surface, so as To
siii any grass and weeds that may appear,
md allow a free circulation of atmospheric air
o the 6bfous roots of the fruiting stalk, re-
at this critical period all the aid and
aouris nmeat that culture, soil ard atmosphere