Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1858-05-05
describe to you the manner of planting
and cultivating cotton.
Yours truly, L.
Sommerville, April 4th. 1858.

the NJ. q (. Railroad, and is the coun-
ty seat of Fayette county. Planters
here are, now preparing their ground
for cotton, and, as I promised in my
last, l will try to give you.some of the
modus operandi Of cotton raising.
The seed of the cotton Except what
is needed for new crop is left in
heaps at the gin-house, where it heats
SO that it will not vegetate. In the
spring it is spread over the ground to
act as a fertilizer for the forthcoming
crop. When spread out thickly over
the ground, it has the appearance of
snow, as the seed is very white from
the cotton adhering to it.
The ploughing is done in rather a
novel manner. 1t would make Yam
kee farmer laugh to see the rig with
which they perform this very important
part Of agriculture. Their plows re-
semble the shovel plows used at the
North for ploughing corn. A single
mule is provided with a head-stall, to
which is attached cord the size of a
BEDFORD, for the s'lines." Also, collar
and harness, to which are attached
tugs, frequently of rope, sometimes
with, but more frequently without a
back pad and girt. This completes the
plow-team. Negro girls are almost in
variably employed to ''hold and drive -
and they manage the business with con-
siderable dexterity. | have seen from
twenty to fifty of these plows at work
in one field, and the negro girls, dressed
in their white linsey gowns, with red
cotton handkerchief tied around the
head, make quite an imposing appear
ance. If the surface is level, the fur
rows are usually nearly straight. If
uneven, the inequalities of the ground
are followed so that the bed Of the fur
row is as near level as possible. The
plow is run along in furrows about three
feet apart, SO that two fnrrows make a
ridge The soil is so extremely light
that the bed burrows must be kept very
nearly level to prevent washing; other
wise the soil would all be deposited in
the lowest ground, by the first heavy
shower The male portion Of the ''tield
hands, are employed in leveling off the
ridges or beds thus prepared and max
ing drill along the top, into which the
seed is deposited and lightly covered
with fine earth. A great deal Of pains
must be taken in preparing the ground
for the reception Of the seed, as the
young cotton plant is very delicate and
subject to variety of diseases pro
duced by wet, drought, insects in the
ground, etc. The planters say, it is
necessary to plant a large surplus OF
seed to insure sufficient lumber Of
plants. The young plant resembles
buckwheat, and is very easily blighted
by cold, and consequently cannot be
cultivated where there is the least Tia
bility of there being frost during the
season.
The spring is cold and backward
here, and the seed is not put in as ear
ly as common. If any of your readers
wish to go into raising cotton, [ pre-
sumo. the above will reach them in sea
son for spring crop; but fear in youl
f locality it may be difficult to get up {
team suitable to do the ploughing.
The scientific cultivation of the sol
is entirely unknown in this country
and as cotton is almost the only croI
raised, it would be somewhat Difficult
, to keep up the productiveness OF tht
) soil by rotation of crops. A field /:
prepared and planted to cotton; mex
, wear the same field is about half plough
ed and planted to cotton, and so OF
from year to year, until the half-tillec
ground will not ploduce enough to pay
t the expense Of cultivation, and then i
f is abandoned and another field takel
+ up and worn out, as before. Large
= plantations can be seen throughout tht
cotton-growing States, entirely aban
bandoned as worn out and worthless
} which, if taken up and cultivated in ;
: proper manner, might be rendered ricl
and productive. A great many Ten
t nessee and Carolina planters, who hay'
, nearly impoverished themselves while
, impoverishing the soil, are abandonin:
their worn-out lands, and emigrating t.
i, the rich lands of Arkansas and Texas
) much of which may be had at one shil
/, Ina per acre. But | fear [ have dwell
l too nlinutely upon this subject; but i
: it interests your readers as much as i
] did me, trust the details will not bs
: wholly without interest to them.
u Yours truly, L.