American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-08-01

W OF eartn on top VI tue slfsting, f0rR-
ing bad about twenty inches wide and
ten inches high. This is neatly round
ed up, and the earth on the top pulveri-
zed. The groend is then ready for plant
ing, which is done at any time from the
first to the twenty fifth of April. These
beds, or bands, are five feet apart, and
the seed Is dropped ia ? hola made by
stroke Of the hoe in the top Of the bed,
at distances Of from twelve to eighteen
inches apart, and from four to six ssads
in place and covered with two OF three
inches of soil,
Aftsy the cotton has grown to height
OF thnee or four inches, the hoeing com
mences, the amount of which depends on
the nature of the soil and on the season,
as the grass m,ust be kept down but in
dependent of the grass the cotton requires
aboat four hoeings and at each of these,
one or two stalks of cotton is removed
from each hill xptil but one stalk is left.
This thianing process requires expert
enced hands to perform il or the crop may
be ruined The plant is bisexous, q
think that is the term having both male
and female plants, and, as is generally
the case, only the female will produce
any thing; the male plants are oil thipned
oat, aRd judgment is ra4aiFed in select
ing the proper stalk to remain as some
stalks will shoot up tail and only put out
branches near the top; the object is to
leave a stalk that will throw out branch
es from the very bottom. An experien.
ced hand will also decide at glance
which plants will produce the Sues, GOT
ton.
About the second hoeing the operation
of hauling is also performed. This con-
sists in hauling the main part Of the soil
between the rows, UP on the top and sides
of the bed. aF
The last operation before picking sea-
son is termed "laying by the crop" In
this M the soil in ths slley is drawn up
on the cotton row, leaving the bottom of
the alley in the shape of the letter v, and
the cotton row; a mound about two feet
high, Eve feet wide at the the base, and
one at the top; this is done just bsfore
the plant gets SO large that hoes cannot
be used without injury to it. After this.
If the grass gets too rank, (Which is sell
dom this case) it can only be removed by
the hand, from around the root of the
plant.
Cotton planted in April is in full bloom
aboat the 10Th OF July, and am told
the pods begin TO open and the picking to
commence about the first week in Sep
tember, and often continues until the last
of December.
Cotton is undoubtedly the most profit
able crop that can be cultivated. You
can make the calculations for yourself
HaDds can be hired at Sl0, or at most,
Sla dollars per month and rations. The
latter usually consists of bushel of corn,
II pounds of pork or bacon; half gal~
lon of tnoissses, aud little salt, per
month BY using mule and Il plough
to every four hands, twelve hands will
work one hundred acres of cotton, and
twenty FIVE or thirty Of corn or other
provisions And it is safe to atrdys cal
culate on 70 pounds to the acre, (yuu may
get TWICE that amounD aud iur years on,
at laast seyeRty.fve cents per pound for
cotton, as tho sea-island always snld at
from forty to fifty cents ppV pound. One
man can manage three or four hundred
acres easily.
Now is very good time to purchase
lands here, as farms that before the war
sold at from sixty to ninety dollars per
acre, can now be bought at from thirty
to fifty.
And my opinion Is, after six months
residence here, that any northern man
who cotnes and settles hare, minds his
owa business, and don't strive to make
himself obnoxious by continually harp
ing on questions on which he may differ
in opinion with the old residents, vii! he
welcomed and treated courtoously and
fairly.
The old citizens here discuss freely
with northern gentlemen the questions
on which the two sections have differed
for the last forty years, and discuss in a
friendly and reasonable manner, but do
not appear to be particularly fond of such
discussions. They appear to accept the
new condition Of things pretty cheerful
ly and are inclined to give the free 10.
hor system fair and Impartial trial. A
few have faith in it, but most are doubt
fal of its success as applied to cotton cul-