Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-04-13

culture will be gived in due time, and we
will not add more here than to urge upon
our patrons, to be sure to plant enough
The prosl ect of a high price for cotton, ought
not to blind you to the probabilities, that
Corn will be high also, and bacon is now aw-
fully scarce, in all the land.
PREPARATIONS FOR COTTON PLANTING.
We are almost aft aid to mention the sub
|ject of cotton to you, until you have got
plenty of corn planted. You iced not our
~admonitions, but will be sure to be thinking
about it, and to try to be ready, in due time,
for the cradling and nursing in this ~fayorite
of Southern agriculture. Now, before we
talk about preparations, suppose we agree to
manage to keep up the fun a little longer,
and not to cut the goose open yet, but let
her continue to lay her golden eggs for years
to come. Let us keep our gIrners al, raise
moro hogs, and next winter, brush out the
cobwcbs from the unoccupied space in our
smoke houses, and with less cotton, get
quite as much money. Are you agreed ?
Then we will tell you something Of what we
suppose will be the best preparations for the
largest returns from the diminished acres to
be appropriated to cotton. After the corn
is planted, and all the needful finishing ope-
%rations have been completed, lot the plows
60 on with a thorough, close and deep bed
ding of the land. Where by nature the
land is fiat and low, some additional eIeya-
ton may be given BY pulling up the beds
with the hoe, but on those lands which are
dry, and not liable to inundation from heavy
falls of rain, we do not think it best to give
more elevation to the bed than will be neces
sary for the convenience Of working the cror
when the plant issmaII. We hold the opin
ion, that preparations for cotton ought to b
very deep, especially in the centre of the bed
thus avoiding the necessity of much dee
blowing in the after culture of the crop.
manure is to be used, let it be deposited i
the first furrow, upon which the bed is to b
formed, and in which it may be covered leeI
We have published in our last number, a
the details of preparation and culture, in a
Essay on the subject, and need not therefor
say more at this time.
MATURING IN THE HILL FOR DRILL.
As much the largest portion Of our m:
nuring is done in the hill or drill, we offer
few thoughts as to the best modes Of its a
plication.
Our general theory is, that, for cotton,
ought to be deposited deep, and for co
shallower. The cotton roots strike deep
to the earth, and will readily find the manu-
at any depth that it can be conveniently br
led, and the action ofthe sun is less injurio
in wasting the properties of the manure,
in its effects in dry hot weather, upon t
plant. The corn sends out its roots neal
the surface, and does not seek to SO great
depth for its supplies. When barnyard
hot stimulating manures are used, they QUE
not to be allowed to come in immediate &C
tact with the grain. A small handful ofc
ton seed to each hill, stimulates the you
corn to a rapid growth in the Spring, a
will add very materially to the yield Of
crop. This, we think, may be very SAT
dropped upon the corn before covering.
Soil Of the SonM