The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1853-10-26
agrirultural,
is sloth indulgence It's a toll,
Enervates man and damns the oil.
Young.
From The Southern Cultivator.
Cotton Growing---Experiment No. /.

MkssRs. Editos-In the June No. of
the Calhcator read with much interest
an article OH "Cotton-the distance it
should be planted" Ivy gentleman of
Jefferson County, Arkansas, and who
"backs" lis statements by Twenty five
years experience" The same ideas and
notions relative to the distance cotton
should be planted, have been entertained
by me for some time. Owing, however,
to my having settled "new place." and
having so many little things to attend to
in fixing up" have not had time to
make only one experiment, and | would
not give that to the public, were it not for
the purpose of asking others to come
forward with their views upon the same
subject; rs one experiment by no means
demonstrates the utility or prscticsbility
OF certain mode Of planting one year
with another. Tho experiment referred
10, propose to give to your readers with
The hope that some of them may be in
duced to try il, if they have not already
done so, and satisfy themselves Of its
advantage or disadvantage. Some time
during the month Of February, in the
spring Of lS4s, had small piece Of
ground ( acrss) broken up with turn
ing pIow in the ordinary way, covering
up corn stalks, pea-vines, and other litter
pretty etfec,ualy. The quality of the
land was tolerable good, capable of pro-
ducing from 500 to l 900 pounds Of cotton
per acre, of seasonable year. On the
first of April, lhad it bedded up thoroughly
rows 8 feet apart, and planted on the 9TH
having previously rolled the seed in ashes.
AS soon as the third and fourth leaves
made their appearance generally though
the field, had it "!arred off, with the
same turning-plow, running the bar next
to the cotton, two Of my best and most
experienced hoe hands following and chop,
ping 1t in lunches, rs near the distance
Of s inche, as they could conveniently.
1t remained in this situation for eight OF
ten days, when i again had it sided"
with sweeps, running pretty close to the
cotton and throwing a little dirt among
1t. The sweeps were followed by the
hoes, this time chopping out erery other
'""ch' making it three feet in the drill, and
thinning out the remaining punches to
two or three stalks. l then had the
middles, deeply and we'll broken out with
shovel plows, running from six to seven
burrows in row. The after cultivation
was with sweeps, hoes generally following
to cut any stray weeds or grass that had
sprung up among the cotton. The only
difference in the management of thi. cot
'on' from that usually pursued by planter.
was the distance it stood apart in row and
drill. Taking into consideration the qual
ity Of the land, it looked like wouII
hardly be able to make more than half ,
crop; and | assure you l felt somewhat
creSt-falIen in looking over my patch
after It had been put TO stand-it looked
SO few and between" The season turnet
out to be a very favorable one for tn,
crops generally in our immediate section
OF country, and fine cotton crops wer,
made.
\ Now for result Of this, my first expert
, ment. The first picking l gathered =,
S4s lbs; second picking 2,236 lbs, Mirc
and last picking 2,o44 lbs; making in al
1928 lbs; or l,4o7 lbs, per acre. In tn,
growth of this cotton noticsdone or tw,
things worthy Of note; the first was, !
branched much nearer the ground, ant
the limbs were much larger than on cot
ton planted in the usual way some O
them being as large as the parent stem
and when Strengthened up were equal,
as tall. The next thing that attracted
my attention was the increased size O
the boil 1t was fully third larger tha,
on my othsr cotton planted in an adjoini.
held; and lastly, thought not of minc
Importance, it all opened and wa. gatbers,
by the 10th Of December. attribute,
its early maturity to the free access of tn,
sun and the free circulation of air, as tn,
limbs barely interlocked between the row,
The yield ofmy other cotton planted
feet by l5 to 20 inches in drilI-was
OSs lbs per acre.
have another "patsh" Of eight acre
the present season, planted in the sam,
way as the other. that is, 5 feet rows, anc
feet in drill, and IL it will be Of an,
interest to the readers of the CulGyo,o,
to know how it turns out, will give 4
to them this winter or early in the : sprin,
provided you will give me acce.. ~
small corner Of the Culfivatoy. You,,
respectfully, A SMALL PLANTER.
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