The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-05-29

time, from it's start until It was terminated by
frost, then would this DO sound reasoning. But
is this so! Who has not remarked. in almost
all seasons, suspensions id this process! The
making in mid season almost stopped, or on
crops Of more constant aud rapid maturity,
terminated long before the killing frost. These
occurrences demo nsirate that the whole season
is not appropriated by ths plant in maturing
bat that suspensions often occur, and that the
process of making frequently terminates before
the end of the season. With these facts before
us, the question arises as to the necessity or the
propriety Of seeking to start plant so tender
and delicate as that of cotton, before the coming
Of the warm sun, so congenial To its nature, or
the cessation of the cold chilly nights, blight
ing and sickening TO this feeble plant. Who
that has tried his hand upon poor, bury, long
haired, stunted pig, aud found how difficult has
been the task to cure, by after kindness, the
injury sustained by former backsets, ha, not ar,
rived at the conclusion that better hog may
be made from younger pig, placed under kind
treatment and genital influences from the start
The analogy may not be perfect, but we think
the illustration is and that the demonstration
in the animal is fair in its application to the We
getable kingdom. Bat we need not 90 so far,
or introduce inappropriate anaogies for the solu
ton Of our problem.
We may take the dwarfsh, damaged shrub or
tree, and let it be placed, with the same advan-
tages, side by side with the vigorous, healthy
shoot, and mark the result. The one has to re
pair its damages and regain its losses, while the
other moves on in vigorous, healthy growth
Thus it may be, and thus we think it often is,
with cotton planted before the arrival Of seasons
suited to start and bring it rapidly on. Before
this, it may come up and it may so far resist
these unfrendly influences as to live and grow
after awhile But these hold it in che elk, hinder
it from growing off soon, and make it a fit victim
for lice or anything else seeking feeble sub
juct upon which to prey. The suggestion
which we make is, (and we will not ask for it
more than bare suggestion would it mol be
better to wait little longer, secure a vigorous,
long stemmed plant, with seasons which would
move il off at once, than take the chances to
have it checked and stunted at the start, TO be
cured and recovered from these ravages before it
can be started to growing But our plan is
objected to, perhaps, because it comes in con-
hict with the long established custom of delay.
ing until after the cotton ia planted to give the
corn its first working. But why wait? Work
the corn as soon as it will do, and Won have
the time to spare. 1t would be much to the
benefit of this crop if it could all be work cd at
least enough to stir and loo en- the earth about
the roots, before planting the cotton. Indeed
this is the very change which we propose that
the corn shall all be sided with the pillow and
dressed (but not thinned) with the hoe, before
the cotton is planted. 1t is at this point that we
look for great gain in its benefits to the corn
and in the tightening of labor, in making the
whole crop, and this without sacrifice to the cot
ton. The corn will thus be started to grow
earlier; and after the cotton is planted, and be
fore it is up large enough for work, the whole
corn crop may be thoroughly plowed, hoed and
thinned, leaving comparatively little more to be
done to that, and nearly all the after time and
labor to be appropriated to the cotton crop
There is but one single objection (and that
one is contingenD which can apply to this plan
The stand of corn may not be obtained suffi
GENTLY early to receive the work which we re
commend before planting cotton STILL We
think, all things considered, it is worthy of
adoption, either whole or in part IF the
corn crop can be started and most of the i'm
portant and hard work in its culture can be done
before the cotton comes on, certainly much is
gained for the corn and the labor necessary for
the cotton greatly strengthened by concentrating
so large portion of it upon this crop. Our
plan in detail is this: In this latitude, that corn
bs. planted the last of February; slightly
worked by siding with the pillow, and dressed,
hut not thinned, with the hoe the last week in
March, and the first week in April; after which,
say from the fifth to the tenth of April, begin
to plant cotton, and soon as that is done, give
the whole corn crop thorough blowing, hoeing
and thinning. In three weeks or twenty five
days, let it have another blowing, and slightly
hoed, if need be- for the purpose of leaving it
perfectly clean, and no more work will be re.
quired on ordinary lands and favorable seasons.
The whole, or nearly all of TIE hoe work may
be thus appropriated to the one object of cult
waiting the cotton CROP and the plows to be with
drawn for but short time. Ca ualties may
arise to thwart this plan, and as much may be
said Of all the best laid schemes Of man. 1t
may be objected, also, that the corn crop will be
disposed of too early. This, we admit may
sometimes happen. When such cases arise,
another slight working must be given with the
pow. At the last blowing, let ten or twelve
quarts of peas to the acre be sowed broad cast
But we think very often the final blowing might
be given at the time which we have first desig-
mated, without loss in the product of this crop.
After the corn is waist high, and the roots
spreading out across the row, if the ground is
well plowed then, and the corn perfectly clean,
it is exceedingly doubtful whether it is ever
ben Gifted, and we are sure it is often Injured by
after plowings.