The eastern clarion. [volume] (Paulding, Miss.) 1837-1863, 1858-11-27
Far n lqlsyIauul and Mechanical .So,;sty d
L1af.uilie C,aoty. N,s2.


The cotton plant Is subject to three
, kinds of rot:
l~t. The wet weather rot. This Is pro-
/ duced ~ too much rain about the time
tile bolls are nearly ready TO open. or from
! the damruc-s of the ground affecting the
under boils or the want of sunshine-ei-
I thDr from damp cloudy weather or the too
/ iuNur,ant growth of the plant, thereby
shading it too much. or all the above
I causes moreor less combined. Dryweath-
I cr Is required 10 contract the bud and en-
/ able the boil to burst fully open, other
] wise il viii only partially open, or not
I open at all The locks of cotton remain
ing TOO long uncXpanded viii, in the end,
/ partially or wholly rot. 1t Is frequently
\ produced lyuot giving the plant sufficient
/ distance. either in the width Of the row
\ or .u the drill. especially when the land is
I rich and the weather Scasonable.
ID The cotton plant is subject to an
. other kind oi rot. ton the adhesion of
] tha bloom lo the young boil. Showery
Z waa.l.. i- most favorable for this de,crip-
2 zion Their. e. - ulusv substance IN the
Y bottom Of the bloom, which will dissolve
. .ua cause the bloom 10 stick fast to the
h1M This IS commonly fatal to the boil
. whil. it y,gv Young. hut I'm many instan-
oos the hplI VIII continue to grow some
times one -iledaud somewhat hawk billed.
causing the Tot 0i on" or two OF the subdi-
visions. lu other cases, all the ends OF
. Tie subdivisions being covered with the
aluyrng dead bloom, the end rots more
. or Tess. and i'm tina; way either partially or
wholly DESTROYS the boil. In other cases.
however. although the dead bloom may
adhere the boil remains sound. and final
ly throw off the bloom when il opens
. HHtn of the above causes, more or less. af-
fec, every cotton crop.
5d. The dry rot, very propcrlyso called.
Is @ disaster attending the cotton plant,
. entirely distinct from either of the fore
going, and much more fatal and alarming
lu it- effects and character. Il bears no
resemblance to either of them, and is pro
. du..d from cau~e- entirely di~Simular !
believe 30 results mainly from "a conStitu-
. tloual defect or disease i'm the seed that
tla defect or disease Is promoted or re-
strained to a considerable extent Ly the
state Of the weather; that dry weather j,
more favorable to it, dcvclopment than
wet. Or what may be called scasonablt
weather. especially If a long dry spell
-hor.iio,lnv the opposite kind ofyvcather
and that thirsty land Is more favorable 10 il
weather But that the disease being ii
Che seed, it viii Lc deycloped under al
conditions oi the weather or nftbc soil +,
NOR. og les. extent: and that being a con
-tiu,l0nal disease. it will regularly in
crea-c So long as the diseased seed ar,
{ planted. Il bears a strongrcsonblance I,
consumption in the human subject. il
more respect than one. ike that disease
it rarely ever attacks a boil until. | ma-
say, The agn Of puberty. or that condition
/ oi the hol! corresponding 70 that ace. i
being generally grown in size but not il
/ maturity Like that disease. the unsoupd
ness oi the boil is internal-the outsid
having the appearance of health 10 a su
| reriiclai observer, while the inside Is NOR
or less uu,0und. Like that disease. tn
constitutional defect NAV exist and We
not affect the boil to much extent uules
Circumstances are favorable 10 lis deye
opemcut. And like that disease. there
rarely any recovery from it when the mi,
chief once begins. and no way to eradicat
q the tendency I'm the offspring but b
. changing the breed or seed. some intel
/. gent planters believe that the fault is i
% tLa land: That the soil has been robbed b
S. long cultivation OF some principle midi
5. pcnslhle TO the healthy growth and m,
It tuuty of the plant, or that there is a
% original deficiency or sournc~.. or til
s. presenc" Of some dcleterious element /
some localities more than others iniurioU
20 q healthy growth. 1t Is important tn,
This difference of opinion for | am f.
i.en being alone in tie opinion that
entertain -aouid he settled. Fortunatcl
] have knowledge of facts and circun
stances. that / think will establish IL
truth Of ms opinion, and those who agr,
with me beyond dispute This fearit
disease %, the cotton plant first made i
appearance about thirty wears ago
% Middle AIauama, where I then reside
and. as l1r as my knowledge extends. VI
.c confined To that region Of country. al
,r perhaps That portion of Mississippi hC
rt druuE Alabama then settled. In an tn
1- REGION, tha AcNcan cotton was planted
1i ta- exclusion OF almost every other vari
ia tv. j was in this cotton that the disea
.y then existed, and from its rapid incrca
I'll 1 and fearful extent it bid fair to annihila
~ ! the production or this great Southern COZ
l.. ! modify. From the freshness and fertili
rs Of the soil. good land then generally yieI
cd from 1909 to 1909 lbs. Der acre: but
of | two or three years the rot reduced I'll
n- | amount ono-hali and even I'm some in-ta
ce- down to two-thirds or threc-lnurths
The mischief extended wherever this &c
ton was planted, no matter what the 5,
- 70, weather might be. though subject
he aggravated or leSScncd under ditfcre
IT, circumstances OF soil and weather. Ha
PLY for the cultiyators of cotton then
= remedy was found in the Petit Gulf see
u some cnterpri-!ug farmers. conceivil
that the FAULT might bee in the seed. ~
'' cured some Of the seed and gave them
IT. trial. The experiment was eminent
succe-Siul-thc Petit Gulf seed inrnishi1
'' q iull and complete remedy. In We
"- -hor, time the Mexican seed were
thrown away, and with the disappearan
oi that seed, nothing more was heard
the dry rot i'm cotton-and away we
then every theory or opinion except III
ri- which placed the fault in the seed. II
th fact wa, too plain and manifest to be d
De-, putcd hy any one. At that time. the lit
llc green seed cotton was cultivated in Nor
cd Alabama and Tennessee, and believe
h Georgia and South Carolina. with but f
ID exceptions. | do not rccollect havi
nd heard Of this disease in any of those
ch calitics or wherever the green seed w,
ed planted presume that the same mig
81. be said of any locality where the Pc
id Gulf seed were cultivated. | Ihave watch
&c, the progress and character of the rot
TX fecting cotton at this time, and my exp
fence and observation all tend stroni
TO support the conclusions and opiniC
assumed in this treatise. planted sol