Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-11-20
Core .pondence Of tho wo,chman and journal

diatey struck with the pecuares of the farming
here The timber is not cut down and cleared n.
way, as is done in the Northern and Western states.
Those sections of Georgia and Alabama with
which AIN most acquainted, are comparatively new
having been reclaimed from the wilderness. within
the last twenty years. A man with his family set
ties down in the forest, erecjs a small log cabin
with one or two rooms for his family, and another
Just in the rear Of it for a kitchen and residence
for his negroes, if he has them and in two weeks
time he is ready to commence warfare upon the
unbroken wilderness FIRST the land is nrubbed
ms IT is termed; this is cutting up the small bushes
by the roots, with an instrument called a grabbing
hoe. large heavy instrument somewhat like an
adze, with long hatchet-shaped back, made sharp
to cut oil the roots. The bushes together with the
scattered limbs, are piled in heaps. Then such
trees as will make rails, cut and split, and the
field enclosed with a high and substantial fence,
made after the Virgnii fashion, or like the crook
ed rail fence of the North. This is frequently
eight or ten feet in height, but is not stakod The
remaining trees are then girdled and left to die,
which requires considerable tmc the pines re-
mining green whole year, and the hard wood if
glrded in the spring will bear leaves the first sum-
mer What now remains upon the ground is burnt,
and the land is ready for the plough No one
thinks OF cu!tivatng a single foot of ground with
ont its first being ploughed and harrow is I'M
/ known in the South. ! am unable to describe that
thing called plough there two or three diff
! 'erent kinds which bear different names, all very
small and light. and drawn by one horse or mule.
The KIND most in use, has for a share a long narrow
piece of iron, running to point little on
| the front side. and attached to the wood Of the
plough. somcwhat after the manner of a coulter;
this two three inches in the ground, Just
disturbing the surface without turning it, The
field IS then planted with corn or cotton, and light
crop is always expected the first year, the yegea-
bic matter not being sufficiently decayed for ma
nure.
In some instances, where the timber is thick and
g - IL 4
piling, and then comes what is called a log-rollng
"a large field Of LOGS is to be piled preparations
1 are made, the neighbors all invited whites and
blacks assemble, not with the OK the horse and the
mule they are left to their own enjoyment at home.
They enter the field, every other man CARRYING a
Ihandspike, the logs taken up and carried or
oied to the place Of deposit, those next the pile,
lower their end Of the lever and stand one side,
while those on the opposite side raise their end, and
the log is rolled off on to the pile, another and an
other Is brought in the same way, until the pile is
completed, the smaller timber is then picked up and
thrown on the top. In this way the whole is piled.
| have never yet seen one of these log-rongs, but
they are quite common in the new parts of the
country.
The cultivated fields at the South present a
gloomy appearance large portion of the timber,
as has been mentioned, is left standing; it soon
decays, the bark and limbs fall of, and much labor
is required to clear the ground before each plant
ing; the high winds of winter annually blow down
large numbers Of the dead trees, which often do
much injury, by the breaking down fences killing
cattle, and falling upon the unpicked cotton. Look
ing out upon large clearing, You can hardly per-
suade yourself that it is not the untouched forest.
The general opinion is that it is a benefit to the
land TO clear it in this way. But little attention is
paid to the cultivation Of the soil, and mlnuring is
scarcely known, and when the land is exhausted it
is abandoned the owner seeking more favorable
situation. The decayng limbs and bark are thought
to keep the ground loose and light. and afford nu-
riment to the crop, while the scorching heat of the
summer sun is mugated by the shade, which is
afforded by the standing trees. In all the new part
of Alabama THE Creek purchasel scarcely an omen
field is to be found. The traveller may pursue his
way for days. through the thickes settled parts of
Alabama, and see only now and then a log-cabin,
or at distance hid in the forest, tasty residence;
here field OF cotton stretching away until it is
lost in the distant wilderness covered with its par
tl-colored blossoms, or opening its rich white fleece
to the sun, and smiling in its own solitude, or a
field of corn shooting up amid the blackened trunks
and hangjng bark Of the deadened forests. He en-
qulres OF the way larer like himself whom he meets
in the way, again and again, where the pco-
pie" and is answered here! all about here this
is thick settled country !" the traveller rubs his
eyes and looks again, but sees nothing, save the
SOLITARY field of corn cotton, the dark green for
est. and the beaten track before him nothing more
of civilization. But bark a sound is heard, dis
tant and faint at first it seems but the whspemngs
of the breeze, but on and On it comes. it swes
upon the ear, echo has caught the sound, it 0p-
proaches is nearer and nearer until the whole for
est seems vocal. Soon the sound rccedes, becomes
fainter and fainter. and finally dies away in the dis
lance 1t is the voice Of the negro at his toll, sing
ing the song of peace, Of happiness, ond of lib
triR
Cotton is the staple production of Ahbamn. as
well as of Georgia and Mississippi There is moth
ing very scientific peculiar in its production; it
requires a light dry soil, and su1iciency of dry
warm weather to bring it to perfection. The time
of planting is the latter part Of March and first of
April. The ground is prepared by ploughng until
the soil is pulver2ed the plough is then run thro
the field, making small shallow furrow to receive
the seed into this the seed is dropped and covered
with the plough, As soon as the cotton Is of slf-
iient height, the ploughing of the cotton as it is
! termed commences. This is done by running the
plough between the rows, and being followed by
the hoe han 5, with large unwiedly hoes to chop
up the weeds and grass The poughing continues
until the cotton becomes large 20 receive in
Jury from it, in some instances, continuing until the
balls begin to open The distance between the
rows being according to the quality of the soil be-
ing closer on the poor than on the rich soil three
feet Is a common space on the poorer uplands while
on the rich bottom and prairie lands, four or five
feet is not too much A large quantity of seed is
usually sown, to provide for the distinctions of
worms and other insects, and the plants if too thick
are pulled out during the ploughing. 1t begins 10
blossom in the month of June, and the first balls
open in the fore part of August. The picking now
begins. All hands called to the field, the cot
ton is picked from the balls which are open, the
whole crop is thus gone BY this time anoth-
err set of balls have opened, and the field is white
again. This must be picked thus the cotton field
is picked over several times and often the picking
continues till mid-winter. The cotton plant varies
in size with the richness of the SOIL being on the
poor lands not more than foot or fifteen inches in
height while it is frequently on the rich river
bottoms, from to 10 feet high. The seed of the
cotton is closely wrapped in the lint, and is sepa-
rated from it by the Gin. The gin now in USE
consists of circular saws, the plane Of which are
about inches in diameter formed on a wooden
shaft. From forty to fifty of these saws are placed
at equal distances the shaft in the space OF about