The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1860-10-09
From the Edgecombe Farm Journal.
COTTON PLANTING.

the subject they will nd just as the prohts OF SUI
gar planting revealed district higher up the Mis-
sissipp river so has the high price OF cotton gwen
district further North for its production.
1t is fact beyond all controversy, that crops
of cotton often yield to the acre bale of 400
pounds while six eight bales to the hand is not
an uncommon product, in the estimate OF hands,
counting all who 90 into the field.
The county of Edgccombe has increased its crop
in twenty years from 900 to 10000 bales; by
bale is meant 400 pounds as 1T stands ready for
market; the most usual classification is middlng,
while some grades higher and lower The coun-
ties of Pitt Martin, Halifax, Nash, Wilson, Wayne,
Greene and LcnOir and Others in the same time
have increased their production very much; but
not in so great a ratio as EdgecOmbe. Many per-
sons whose opinions are entitled TO hgh respect,
think the crop of Edgecombe will be doubled at
no distant day, which does not seem improbable
when it is estimated that not One-third Of her ara
BILE land is in cultivation.
Much of North Carolina is we'll adapted to its
CIVILIZATIONS all the alluvial region that is not too
wet or too sandy, and much of the secondary, max
ing a district of about Onethird of the State.
If the county of Edgecombe, with territory Of
700 square miles, yield 10000 bales what will one
third of the State containing about Il 900 square
miles with like cultivation yield? 1t will be about
100000 bales.
Ii the season should be favorable during the
remainder of the year, the crop Of the Tar river
country will exceed 10000 baes and if there
should be the same ratio of increase in the next
ten years as in the past ten, at the end Of that
time it will 20 considerably beyond lOO, OO0--
Should the present remunerating prices continue,
and the Edgccombe system Of Improvements and
cultivation become Of general in the cotton dis
tricts. the crop Of North Carolina will, at
mote day, reach half million Of bales. The good
soils Of the State, except the lOwlands and swamps,
have for the most part been so much exhausted
that, without improvement they would barely
have paid the expenses Of cultivation. Unlike
the crops Of virgin Soils after few years, grow
ing worse and worse, We may expect with each
coming year, with like seasons to increase the
crop and improve the land until we not only
store but often increase its natural productvcness.
We cultivate nearly all the soils not containing
excess of sand, too much moisture. River,
creek alluyial bottoms, and swamps, all give a.
good yield if properly drained; not only these, but
the pine lands Of clay subsoils when properly pre-
pared and improved, will make good cotton; and
in many localities for few years give good crop
without manuring.
These pine lands, heretofore only associated with
tar, pitch, and turpcntinc, give greater promise of
future increase OF crop, under the proper system
of improvement and cultivation, than any of the
districts Of India Africa that have yet been
tried.
NullatCS IlaC VIII not ADMIT OF planCnS Dy Cnes
first of May are 700 short; they may occasionally
give good crops, but The chances are in favor that
they may be cut short by early frost. Much of
the earth has sufficient warmth of wcather'and
richness Of soil, but IS deficient in the proper mix
ture of rain and sun shine.
Excessive rains in winter spring, particularly
the latter unfit the land for planting, and usually
produces bad stand. Continued drought dwarts
the stalk, and excessive rains give too much weed
i. e ,,k@
son has given the necessary stalk and buttons,
heavy rains or continuous damp, and cloudy wealth
err in the blooming season, will injure the staple
both in quality and quantity.
The bloom getting wet the day it opens and
continuing so for several days, adheres to the
young boil, sometimes causing partial decay,
giving defective lock Of cotton, at other times
causing it to drop off; the latter is most usual eff
feet of the bloom continuing wet. Any excess of
dry or wet weather will cause the young bolls to
drop; the latter more than the former
Even if there are the boIIs necessary for good
crop, excessive rains often produce the boll-worm
rot, rust, and other diseases that cut it Short all
these casualties passed, the planter ready to realize
his hopes of good crop, his snow-like fields
swept down with rain storm. Drought is often
DISASTROUS but rain more SO; the one is more de-
structve poor soils while the latter is so on the
rich moist soils After the maturity of the stalk,
perceptible the alterations of wet and dry in the
same crop, can often be SEEM the former gives
long joints and few, while the latter gives short
Joints and many bolls.
So long there alterations of long drouchts
and long rainy seasons in India and the newly er-
plored regions of Africa, the American planter
need entertain no fears from their competition
The cotton associations of Europe may announce
the discovery of new regions to rival the South;
but until they give different description of dry
and wet seasons, they need not trouble themselves
with experiment TO test their cotton growing
capacity; those who have experience on this sub
ject, know that at best their productions must be
inferior in quantity and quality.
warm spring with light showers, a dry sum-
mer with occasional rains to wet the soil, and an
autumn with clear sky, the essentials for cot
ton; to make good crop with continued wet
weather in after the blooming season is impossi-
bic. How it will succeed in dry weather eli
mate where 1t Is necessary to resort to irrigation
have no accurate Information, but certainly much
better than where the rainy seasons are in excess
The old States have already exhausted their
rich virgin soils; the time is near, and in some
places already at hand when they will have to rely
on the improvement Of exhausted lands, and the
enrichins the soils poor by nature.
No lands, with proper system of manuring,
promise more than piney lands with clay sub
SOIL and if mari or lime, with each alternate wear
at rest free from grazing, be applied they are
without rival for Improvement; even the ex-
hausted soils under this system of treatment will
soon greatly excel their natural productiveness.
Some of the best cotton-felds of Edgccombe are