Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-02-04
farmer's department.
From the Cotton Planter and Soil.
PLANTING COTTON SEED.

PLANTING COTTON SEED.
Dror iSir:-Your remarks as to planting
cotton, in 2jSth page, read with much in
terest, and hope the enquiry OF H. W. H.,
and the response will be the beginning OF
better things.
As I have been so simple as to leave
beaten track aud to try various experiments,
I hope l will not he deemed as an intruder,
or to attempt taking any wind out of your
sails, by giving what | know from absolute
trial and from repeated trials.
Using "two and half and three bushels
per acre, of cotton seed will not come up to
the mark if weighed or measured, in ma
iority of instances, know some to use over
FIVE bushels.
L have planted an entire crop with mea.
surcd half bushcl per acre. and done it to1
years, having seed to give away, even then;
have never planted a crop myselfto average
over one bushel, and know it. 1havc had two
or three bushels planted by an ovcrscer and
then complained because I had "ucw tangled
notions" I have dropped siug seed two
seed, three seed, and the stand nearly per-
feet.
Usually I take more pains in ploughin5
and in bedding up than any one l know OF,
and have "step dropped" entire crops When
1 plant the early crop, say from the 23th
March to the 9th of April, hardly hide tie
seed, indeed l prefer to press them into TIE
earth, not cover at all
Ifsecd are ginucd out from lint before
bulking cotton, then sun them until perfect
ly dry, scatter them in house until quite
cool before banking, they will be as certain
to vegetate as corn, and if dropped "four to
eight in hill," the plant stands the cold
better, becomes stoutcr in the stalk and Is
every way healthier and more able to resist
any disease. \ hoe hand, if beds are well
and nicely thrown up, can scrape nearly
double, more than making up any time ''lost"
in planting many seasons, the plant can be
earthed with plough and the ridge not 81
ded with scrarer or plough until the Second
working, hoes to follow to thin out and draw
the earth more regular to and. around the
young plant. l know not how many acres
can be planted with bushcl of sound seed,
but | know I did plant nine acres with two
bushels of the "Jethro' seed when they
were new and scarce and secured a good
stand.
Half bushcl per acre allows ten to fifteen
seed per hill, more than double that should
be in any hill. Suppose we were to save,
say one hundred and fifty bushels for three
hundred acre crop. they could be cured in
the shade, put away nicely, and before plant
ing, rolled thoroughly so as to drop singly.
Having tried the following, | do faithfully
recommend Take stable manure free from
straw, put into barrel about half full, then
fill with water, ten or fifteen days before
planting; wet the seed thoroughly with this
mixture, stirring often the manure being
rotted the water with thick scum and
bubbles on top. Roll the seed thoroughly
and dry off with plenty of Gypsum Plaster.
Then they are easy to drop, being readily
seen from the whiteuess
In 1S44, had twelve acres thus dropped
and the yield was over two hundred pounds
per acre over adjacent land. Say not that
manure and sulphate lime caused the gain,
but l never could attribute it to anything
else.
Last year used Rancall's drill, planting
two hundred and twen5y acres; balance of
crop planted as usual-sixty acres planted
up-freezed out-onc hundred and sixty is
now to show. against the balance for perfect
tion in stand. The planter, using of ordinary
seed about one bushel of the Mcbride seed,
being the smallest and more black seed than
of any other variety requiring about half a
bushcl If more pains were taken in the
planting, We could dispense with half Of the
hoe work and thus cultivate more and better
with the plow. We must MS" plou mare "md
he lar tess. The demand for cotton and
slave labor is too costl we must use the
rude and good implement.
Yours, Truly,
NJ. w. PHILIPS.