The Gonzales inquirer. [volume] (Gonzales, Tex.) 1853-current, 1853-06-25
AGRICULTURAL.
From the Milledgcviilc Recorder.
Degeneration Of Cotton

From the Milledgcviilc Recorder.
Degeneration Of Cotton
No-srs Editors--I sent a boil, in thirteen
s7ed, OF which three were large white Mexican.
VOL Petit Gulf, and the rest To INC unknown
In 1907, Cotton Was BOAST cents pcf lb.,)
cotton bolls were small, and the seed green,
and to which the lint adhered tcnaciously. A
hand could pick on 4 fair average so lbs. pcr
day. a gin that could gin 600 lbs. a day was
200 miles In those DAYS was discussed the
perpctuity Of whitncy's patent
Now (lS53) cotton bolls grow much larger,
the seeds no longer the little green seed, but
their nA:Ma il legion. The bolls are large, 100
10 the pound, and IN the case of the boil I sent
You, 30 to the pound. The staple IL superior
III length and finencss-a fair average, like the
above, 100 pounds or three TO one can be nick.
cd in u day.
Mr.. VIM. scahrook Cor many years sold his
best cotton for ono dollar n pound, md Mr..
- has sold his at 81 40 per pound. Mr.. S.
went through his fields sampling them, and
selected his seed from such stalks as bore cot.
ion of the description that brought 81 per
pound: and nf(cr tho seeds were picked out,
they were again selcctcd-i. g., all these seed
not free from leaves, n tuA mt the small bud
end were rejected; Cbcing hybridized."
Sea Island, or Black Seed cotton, raised out
OF the Immediate vicinity Of the ocean, is 80
per cent advance on its own price inferior to
that on the islands surrounded by salt water.
Cotton grown on the Islands is very different
in close proximity; q road may divide two
fields, the cotton from one of which may be
worth 20 cents, and from the other 81 90 per
pound.
In Mississippi, Is per boil, even So so per
single seed has been given for cotton seed.
In our cotton fields, from the same seed,
many varieties of cotton arc growing
From the above facts we conclude that cot
ton has improved In the last forty years, and
that 1t Is susceptible Of much greater improve.
incnt.
In all plants, it is necessary to their perfect.
ing their seed, and consequently reproducing n
healthy, fourishing offspring, that Il should be
cultivated in such n manner, and in such n soil
and climate, ms Is most congcnial to II.
Should cotton seed be brought from n dis.
lance, or that grown on the spot used, suppo.
sing II to he the same kind of secdY If the
seed bc carefully guarded from naturalization,
the seed raised ut home would be preferable,
because IL Is acclimatcd and na~turalizcd-,hat
is to say, If it were brought from a colder
country. il would sprout too early in spring,
and come to maturity too early in the fall, and
vice versa. Because IL the cotton raised from
good seed dcgcncratcs below the standard of
wv ~ hStti NihNh " MNh DtlIlNu IL
shows that IL has dcgcncratcd from one of the
causes mentioned above, and that 1t would not
do ms well as home selected seed. In conncc-
ton with which | will quote from an Essay on
the Soils &c, of the State of Georgia, by j.
X. Getting p. ITO, Unany copies of which
valuable work can be bought in Millcdgcvillc,
mt the price of waste papcr.)
On n very rich deposit of ~dccomposcd ycgc-
table matter, part of which has been in cult
walton many years, almost every vegetable,
particularly cotton blasts, mildcws or rusts,
that is planted. Then follows the cause and
cure.
IL several varieties of cotton be grown in
contiguous fields, the seed from such cotton
will present all tho varieties of appearance in
every field which were peculiar to each, / g.,
the pollen of the cotton blossoms, like that of
the peach, corn, wheat, cabbage, or any other
plant, will mix and at considerable distances.
The only way to preserve cotton, then, from
this cause of deterioration, would he to plant
the seed as uniformly of one kind us possible,
and as far from ncighboring fields Of dissimilar
kinds as can be accomplished.
Too early planting is much to be condemned
All tender plants, such as snaps, okra, cotton,
&c, when chilled by frosts in early spring,
perhaps never recover their full vigor. And
should the grass spring on account of early
rains, no time, not one working, either with
the pillow or hoe, will be saved. Whereas,
were cotton planted to be up about the middle
of April or the first Of May according TO the
season, it would he tit TO pick as early as that
planted a month earlier and this advantage
would also be gained-,hat the ground would
bc broke OF Mt lcas; bcdded up a month nearer
TO the season when cotton Cplantcd when you
Will iegins TO grow, l. O., the LIST of June
and, lastly the sccd-iicycs perform u very i'm.
portant function TO the young plant, and should
they bc injured by frost OF cold, the cotton
would be NJ hard TO make grow. or even live,
as a child born at u, { or 3 months.
JAMES MITCHELL.