The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1856-03-12
COTTON CULTURE-SOME sUGaEs.
TI0NS TO PLANTERS A..

EDroRs SOUTHERN With
the wind in the Northwest and ,he earth
covered with snow, slcat having covered
the earth and trees on the evening Of the
10th, no work on hand, but keep up the
fires, have employed the dayin writing
and reading. ...
:. thought Of writing an article for the
Patent Office Report, on the culture Of
! Cotton, ahd,to press my views on the ag-
ricultural public, but the Ecport not com
ing out in time for this year, aud with
only extracts, | conclude to beg ycur in
du'gence, as your paper has, | believe,
The next most extended circulation. | al
so begthat you will mark the article aud
forwS j; to tie Patent Office.
only beg my planting brethren will
ny the rrgct on an acre, report fairly,
tor or against, and try three years. If |
am wrong. not much harm is loue; it
right, then good will result. ask
'Broomscdgc," Coke" and others of nv
personal friends to try, and fear not.
am no inventor, though perhaps an
inventors If l have come to conclusions
warrantIng me in proposing Il change, it
l. the result of accident, no smartnSss in
it, at ALL
My proposal is simply, plant rows clos.
er and leave stalks closer; on general
quality of land throw up higher beds. In
1912 or lS43, l had left part Of my
crops without the second thinning, for
some reason IL now forget. An expert.
cnccd planter, Of some 90 years of a-c,
advised Inc TO take out every other stalk,
saying would not make half a CROP
Abou, lst of August examined closely,
counting bolls, fo,ms and squares, and
thought if made no more than each
stalk then had, that | would be certain
OF u crop, so ''let her rip" to use vul-
gar expression. The consequcnce-the
best crop the land ever produced, before
or since. | have followed this plan, to
some extent, ever since. Not leaving rs
much, admit, but because IN; ovcrseers
have not the nerve.
This year | am Determined TO try il on
every variety Of land what can be done,
III continuation or against.
In conversation with my friend, DR..
VIM. l.. BaI,our, Of Madison county, one
o. the largest per hand planters in these
United States, | find he places hi. success
principally 10 close planing-on his
swamp (rivcD lanl Is, Nazoo and Madison
whether tie richest or the thinncst, he
plants. lie uses inch hoe, and passes
the hoe through once, on thin lands, on
rich Lands, twlcc-tlus leaving stalks, say
ab"u, 10 and 20 inches apart. | do not
remember the distance Of rows, but this
depends on land. The idea is to have
stalks enough to insure crop of bolls 10y
the time the cotton should meet in the
row. say hy the middle of July. If the
season be pnfavorab!c, the krltpr c1pp i>
best any ho"; if favorable, so much more
is made. DIR. B. makes II to 20 bales
per hnnd on his river plantation. Til,
may be doubted, but the documents can
Ge produced, II beds hc thrown un well.
the weed does not grow so tail and sets
It's fruit closer, and thus will lear crowd.
ing. Shading land earlier prevents cvap.
Grafton, and the burning up Of TIC sol,
aud huS will the lnI wear longer.
My desire two years ago. was TO lcaye
the usual distance, but double q stalks)
and so directed my ovcrsecr to do, for /
20 acres. This will try the present
year, as well as single stalks and double
stands. Our friend - seems 10 fear
over production, which DO not. Let us
get to full crop rs early AS possible
100000 bales it will be our salvation.
Land now making 500, COO and 700
pounds Of raw cotton will he turned to
grain and grass; more money will be-
made the South more independent, and
the cotton region more in body. BE.
sides, If "" can make wlalwt can gather
say six bales Of nice cotton, why not do
SO from five TO eight acres, with two or
four acres in grain
If | am right, and only one acre in cot.
ton be saved, good will be done that
will equal millions Of dollars. ask
trial. ! ask none to try new hypothe-
sis, or speculation. This is no. either !;
brt he result Of my experience, which
have often referred to.
Yours with respect,
N. w. PmLIrs.
Edwards, Miss, JAN, 1856.
i. S.-l have this year 1900 pounds
per acre on so acres, where rows are.
think myself, too close, whereas on other
land OF same character with usual dist ,ncc
not over 700 pounds, but in part due to
the rot.