The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-01-17
@or the @arulers.
Cotton.

MEssRs. EDITORS: In accordance with my
promise in my article on guano, propose Civ.
ing my views on the culture of cotton.
The cotton plant is not easily suited in soil
and climate, and it seldom happens that they
are SO combined as to perfect the plant
= The best cotton lands are of n deep, rich,
soft mould medium between the spongy and
sandy. The most important part of the cult
yation consists in judcious and proper prepara.
ton Of the soil for planting. All cotton lands
should be broken up deep and close, at the la
test by January; it would be better to have it
done in Nov or December, but picking out ger.
orally prevents it. Plough deep, the deeper
the better, use the sub.soil as much as posi-
ble; even if your land has been in cotton the
year previous, break it up deep, at least one
foot.
About the 25th of March prepare for plant.
ing. lay off nay rows from 80 to 3G inches
wide. Cotton should be So planted, that when
it arrives at maturity the branches will slight
ly interlock on every side. Law off these rows
as deep as can With Shovel or scooter from
two to three inches broad, the plough is one
half inch broader at the point. then drill my
manure as regular as possible. follow with
a turning plough, laying OH two furrows, rails.
ing the bed as high as possible; then break
out the middles. If the land is low, draw up
the bed with hoes; with small harrow plough
lay open the bed, making furrow Of uni.
form size and depth. A careful hand follows
strewing the seeds evenly in the farro%, al.
ways using en"ugn OBSCURE good stand
about three bushels per acre. Ieover with a
board of hard wood, an inch or inch and half
thick, seven or eight inches broad, and foot
in length, slightly notebed in the centre. This
board IS screSd on the plough foot, and when
drawn over the row covers the seed nicely. If
the ground is well broken up and the seed we'll
planted, half the laber is DONE,
AS soon as the cotton was up, commence
thinning out leaving bunches from 8 to IL in.
-ches apart, passing along rapidly with hoes. l
follow with a small shovel, running close to the
cotton plouching very deep and throwing up
little light soil to the roots of the cotton. This
ploughiag, too, should be close and deep and
so that the roots may easily penetrate the soil,
as they stripe deep into the earth. If the
ground is very rough the ploughs should pre-
cede the hoes.
In the second working, which should follow
as soon as possible, the ploughs 60 before the
hoes. This plonghing also should be deep and
close. now bring my cotton to a stand.-
This should be carefully done and the hoes
atteu,ively watched, as a stand is often ruined
by this wo, king. Sore shin rust, &C., are often
chargeable to the way in which it is done
now leave one stalk in every bunch heretofore
left, making my cotton stand from 8 to IL in.
ches apart; throw little dirt to the stalks of
cotton, and leave the crop clean, free of grass
and weeds The cotton will then growsoff fine.
", and not suffer for work for twenty or twen-
ty. five days. Every subsequent ploughing
should be shallow and not close, sufficient.
however, to cover all the small grass that may
have sprung up since the last ploughiug. The
loes should also pass over the crop, killing
such grass and weeds as the pIoughs cannot
reach. 1t is difficult to say how often the crop
should be ploughed, as that will depend good
da;I saan the season. My rule is to keep the
and weeds, aud to keep the
al.