Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-04-27
COTTON SEED.

We hear very general complaints from
the country in regard to the quality of the
| seed which, in many localities, the planters
are obliged to use. During the war so little
cotton was raised, that very great scarcity
exists throughout the cotton States. The
very small crops of '62, '63 and '64 were
very generally stored away in the seed, and
were not ginned un:il the last year. From
frequent experiments which have been made
| with these seed, we are assured by many in
telhgent planters it has been aseertained
that very few will terminate, and that even
Of those that do come up three-fourths die in
the course of eight or ten days. We have
taken some pains TO get correct information
on this point, and the general current of
opinion is that seed which have lain in the
lint for two years or more are altogether I'M
reliable. Whether seed that were separated
from the lint shortly after picking, and have
subsequently been kept well sheltered and
protected from the weather, are reliable, the
opinion of planters is somewhat contradic-
tory.
The weight of opinion seems to be that
such seed will keep perfectly well for three,
four, and some say as long as ten years. We
suppose that this will depend very muchup
away, and the quantity which was piled to-
gether. If tie seed were ginned from the
dry, well matured cotton, and not stored in
too large bulk, we think from the evidence
which we have obtained upon this point that
they will keepseveral years without injury to
the germ. A large planter in Burke county,
of considerable experience, assures us that
he has planted seed ten years old, and that
10 II 20 &C 10
growth. His theory was that by keeping
them for several years, the germ of the
faulty or defective ones would be destroyed,
so that none would terminate except such
as would make strong, vigorous plants,
whereas if new or fresh seed were planted
many defective ones would come up, which
would not have sufficient vitality to sustain
vigorous growth, and were liable to die out
under the effects Of the hot June sun.
On the other hand, planter in neigh
boring county, of great experience, informs
us that he planted seed of the growth of
1862, and that they came up beautifully. In
few days he noticed they began to die out,
and in eight or ten days the stand had be-
come so defective from dying out, that he
ploughed up and replanted the land. This
second planting came up well, but in few
days he noticed tendency to die, and then
watched it closely. By the tenth day from
the time it first began to come up, it was
nearly or quite all dead. He planted the
land the third time with like results.
We give these cases for what they are
worth. Both are gentlemen of varacity, and
both experienced planters. In the last case
the seed had lain in the lint since 1862.
We would urge upon planters the propri-
ETY. of at least sowing old seed very thick.
Don't be deferred from this by the high
price of seed Better to buy a few good
seed to finish the crop with, even at the pre-
sent high prices, rather than hazard the in
surfing of good stand. A full crop of cot
ton cannot be made without it.-Augtstu
Chronicle.