Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-04-13
from the Cotton Planter and Soil.]
PREPARING THE SOIL.-PLANTING AND
CULTIVATING COTTON


PREPARING THE SOIL.--PLANTING AND
CULTIVATING COTTON.
DR. CLouD-Dear Sir: The period for the prepa-
ration of the soil fer the reception of the seed in
spring time, is near at hand. I have thought it
might not be unmportant to discuss the best mode
of preparing the SOIL and the cultivation of the cot
ton plant.
In the first place. the hillsides should be ditched
as no system of cultivation will retain the fertility
of the soil if every rain that falls is allowed to carry
away the richest portion of the earth, and convert
the hills into barren gullies. Independent of the
saving of the land by the horizontal system of cul
ture it is beneficial in retaining the water that it
may be absorbed by the earth, and furnish moisture
to the plants in times of drought.
Next to ditching the h-sides in Importance, is
the turning over with good turn plows, all rough
grassy and stubble lands. The time when this ope-
ration is accomplished, is matter of much impor-
lance; as sufficient time for the complete decompo
sition of all vegetable matter must be allowed or
the greatest good will not be accomplished by this
operation It will DO sccn then, that the earlier in
the fall or winter all stubbe and grassy corn lands
are turned over the better
The immediate preparation of the land for the
cotton crop should be commenced by subsoiling the
land to the depth of eight or ten inches and this
should be done in February if possible. AS soon as
the subsong is gotten through with, the beds in
tended for the reception of the cotton seed should
be thrown up; this operation is also of great impor
tance as much of the after success depends on the
manner in which the beds have been made. Com
mence bedding by running shovel furrow as deep
as one horse can pull it conveniently, about three
feet apart as level as the rows can be made, then
finish bedding with turning pillow, pulverizing the
earth as deeply and thoroughly as possible. There
is considerable discrepancy of opinion in relation to
the width of rows. think that on lands that will
not bring more than thousand or twelve hundred
pounds of cotton to the acre, three fec: is the pro-
per distance for the rows to be placed apart
The physical condition and chemical changes ef
fected by only subsoiling, is no where more appa-
rent than in the cultivation of the cotton plant 1t
is well asccrtained fact, that any material accec-
plant will it to drop its FORMS The condition
of the soil best calculated to furnish the greatest
amount of nutritiye matter, and to produce the
most uniform state as to moisture, temperature and
permeablty, will insure the greatest yield of cot
ton per acre. The mechanical changes effected by
thorough subsoiling, consists in creating system
of small capillary vessels to the depth of eight or
ten inches operating as so many small tubes which
by capillary attraction draws the moisture from
depths beneath and absorbs the moisture and gases
from the atmosphere. A nonconducting medium,
or nearly So is created to the depth of the earth sub
soilcd obstructing the burning rays of the sun in
summer and the retention Of the moisture of the
earth The great permeabilty of the soil enables
the plant to send its rootlets to greater depth in
search for food When the soil is deeply pulverizcd,
it is able to absorb much greater amount of rain
water, thereby preventing washing of the land and
drowning of the plant. Now, as the soil takes up
water, evaporation is prevented, drought does
not so easily effect the growing plant
1t will be seen that in proportion to the fneness
of the SOIL and the depth it is pulvcrzed the great
err will be the surface acted upon by atmospherical
and electrical influences; consequently, greater
amount of nutritive matter will be assmilated and
taken up by the roots of the plants in search after
food.
The height of the beds preparatory to the rccep-
ton of the soil depends very much on the quality of
seed if the land is level and the soil close and fine
the beds cannot be thrown up too high. If the
land is level and the soil coarse and sandy then
moderate medium height is best Uplands that
are light and friabe do not require to be raised
much above the level; but uplands having tena-
cious cloggy SOIL such the prairie lands ought to
be bedded pretty high as to protect the plants
until the water can be absorbed. l have already
said, that in making the beds the land should be
plowcd as deep as possible. From the first to the
fifth of April is the best time to commence planting
which should be done by running small scooter
furrow exactly in the middle of the bed. covering
with harrow The seed ought to be drilled pretty
thick to insure good stand and to enable the hands
The cultivation of the cotton plant is an opera
ton of the greatest importancethat system of cul
ture which will insure the greatest uniformity of
condition as regards warmth and moisture at the
time giving the greatest amount of play to the
electrical and atmosphcrcal influences, and doing
the least amount of injury to the roots of the plant,
is the most certain to produce the greatest yield
of staple cotton lint.
As soon the young plants are above the ground,
commence its cultivation by running around each
side as close it can be DONE covering all the cot
ton up except the buds of narrow streak in the
centre of the bed This operation if properly done,
will save a great deal of hocing. In about five or
six days after the cotton has been around which
should be done with solid sweep the operation OF
chopping out may be commenced, and as soon as
the hoes have gone it. it should again be plow
ed with sweep with two burrows to each row.
The hoes should now follow the plows and put the
stalks of cotton to the distance they arc intended to
stand; as much regularity in this work must be
observed as possible placing each stalk IN the rows
half the distance the rows are apart Commence
blowing the third time in about fifteen twenty
days. run three or four burrows in each row accord
| ing to their width. Great care now must be used
not to let the pillow 60 too deep-the pillow used must
be flat sweep. Great industry will be necessary
to get back to the cotton to give it the fourth
and last blowing.
Much caution is required in this last operation, as
many fields of cotton ruined by the last plow-
ing The work should be done with very flat
sweep, running shallow as possible, and far
enough from the stalks to prevent breaking the
limbs and the roots. The whole operation may be
completed with the hoes, by going over and cutting
out all the struggling weeds, and punches Of grass
that may have been left by the plows.
JOSEPH W. ATKINS.