Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1851-10-24
r..,nrnrrnnenf Of Cotton.


The following interesting letter from Col. H. "
Wick, of Vicksburg appears in the Southern Guilt
yator IT is upon a subject of the utmost import-I
ance to the growers of cotton It snot the first able
communication we have seen from the pen of Col
Wick though is to be regretted that planters who
are able to give to their fellowplanters such clear
and satisfactory accounts of the results of their
perience should SO rarely take pen In hand.
The letters were originally addressed to DR.. Phil
lips of Kinds county, Miss. These are the principal
facts stated:
Seventeen years since, procured from the Petit
Gulf hills some excellent cotton seed, known then,
now as the little brown, or drab Petit Gulf Mexi-
can For the first seven years. ordinary care was
taken of them; when, having met with none supe-I
rior, set the resolution to improve them if could.
first had few bushels of seed culled from the
fulk of uniform appearance, and of the description
supposed best. This was done for two years. The
seed were purified as it is termed but the benefit to
the crop barely perceptible. have since found
that this method be practiced with advantage,
but only under circumstances hereafter to be named
/ next sent three men ahead of the other hands
assigning four to EACH with orders to pick the
best boils from the bes: stalks only was so much
pleased with the result that practced this method
for five years. under the impression that it the
best that could be devised. But it was not
The summer and fall of l843 spent on my cane
hills plantations seven miles from Vieksburg. While
experimenting personally as had previously done.
the three mentioned picked few OF the largest
and most beautiful bos from the extra fine stalks
which kept apart in my pockets hat, handkerchief
and in every way | could, and papered up under
notes and memorandums for future examination.
To this method am indebted for anything know
respecting cotton known to every one.
Of the first Method.-Little is accomplished by
picking large even considerable quantity of seed
from a large bulk. For amount OF experience
and Judgment is required to do this with discrimi-
nation, that will never be possessed by any negro
rarely by any overseer and but seldom by any plan
ter. But the seed from single stalk may safely be
trusted to negro, or overseer by whom the mixed
seed, if any, may be separated papered apart, and
tied up with those proper to the stalk. This, how
ever with the best stalks, should, whenever
lent, be attended to by the planter himself, we'll
for study as satisfaction and profit.
Of Second Method.-For field of so hands, 400
to 500 lbs Of cotton should annually be culed. If
this done, the size and opening of boil size.
health and production of stalk, picking properties.
quantity and quality of lint, would all be advanced
Of Third Method-In favor of this method, on
which the gardener, orchardist &c. mainly depends,
which is as old the practice and older than the
science of agriculture, too much cannot be said
In examining the products of the different stalks,
which amount to hundreds of bundles and was the
labor of a winter, spread the bundles out ia
BILE before Satisfied that the fingers would bring
to light much valuable. perhaps essential infcrma-
tion that would be hidden by the gin. determined
to make the investigation thorough and complete
1t was not long before plainly saw that what had
supposed to be homogeneous stock of cotton seed.
consisted in fact of ten dozen distinct varieties
became attentive to the shades of difference. Of
these ten a dozen, six were evidently greatly su-
perior to the rest; my selections were confined to
those OF the six consisted of twelve locks only
The size and beauty of the locks the style in which
they were put up the abundance, length, strength,
hneness and lus're of lint form and hue of seed led
me to prom unce them at once new, distinct and
valuable variety. [ picked them. They yielded
precisely 100 seed. Having many names to furnish,
the singularity of the incident suggested that
would sufficiently distinguish them and at the same
time, with me. perpetuate their history. called
them my g 100 seed :" cotton.
! planted these 100 seed in 1874. Owing to acct
dent but thirty-two saved-the equivalent to a
boil. picked the cotton with great care, remark
ing doubtless for want of experience) but little diff
ference in the stalks the cotton they bore. With
the seed they yielded, dropped singly planted two
and half acres of ground. heavy rain washed
up many of them yet | gathered two bales
of cotton, which sold two and a half cents higher
than any of my other cotton, and obtained ninety
bushels of seed weighing twenty-four pounds to
the bushel.
Does not that seemingly simple, but profound and
admirable advice of Fontenel that we should in
all things nature WHO'S grand in her schemes
but frugal in her MEANS" here apply!
had committed the blunder while examining my
numerous cuttings of 1S43, of picking with my own
fingers oil the finer lots the aggregate yield of which
exceeded one hundred thousand seed. The expan-
sion in single season of my thirty-two seed Cor
one boil into two and half acres of good cotton
yielding ninety one bushels of seed made me sensi
BILE of my error and of the fact that must do less
to accomplish more. Feeling that could safely de-
pend for the improvement of my " 100 seed " upon
the process that resulted in their production ex
amned the two and half acres with additional care
and made my selections with fastideous nicely.
Judge Of my surprise at finding my hundred seed
sprnging upon me four new varieties the first year
each possessing some peculiar excellence of its own
Three of these were to be met with frequently, bu
the fourth originated with single boil the only one
of its kind the stalk that bore it. The three frs
were named Sub-Nigri, Belle Creole, Diamond, ane
the fourth Lintonia. 1t may not be amiss to give
some account of each The description will neces
sarily be imperfect.
Sab-Nigri Tdriety--Seed small rugged, dark
scorched seemingly defective, but perfect and val
liable variety Stalk not large rather low and bushy
great bearer boil of full size, round lint abund
ant, of medium 100 seed length bright and ICY very
heavy, elastic and strong.
Belle Creole Variety.-Stalk large, tall and produc
tive, boil large and long, seed above medium 10(
seed size, commonly fat one side with indenta
ton lint abundant, long, fne silky, soft, lustrous
and beyond measure more oily than any cotton
have seen.
Diamond Variety.-Of two kinds. Seed of tn
one small fat side. both, with linden
tation side, boil round and of full size
| The seed of the other rather large, rough AM
greenish, long round and of sugar-loaf form, I'm,
avorite form;) stalk tall and productive, boil fin
size long and sharp pointed, locks large and beauti
full, and picks splendidly. Lint of both kinds abun
dant, long hard, elastic, icy, smooth, heavy AM
light rejecting, whence the name.
Lintonia Tdriety.-The twenty-nine seed in tn
boil from which this variety sprung size abov
IF w and 81. oh