The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-02-18
anoerson yntelllgeuter,
Cotton Culture,

TO be slowly taking hold OF our people
Every year, however, adds to the number
Of those in the South who are becoming
enlightened upon the subject of agricul-
ture, and are following the teachings OF
wises heads, than their own.
One of the foremost men OF the present
day, in agriculture, is David Dickson, OF
Sparta, Georgia. His letters on farming
and Farm experiments, published in the
Southern Cniarator, are doing much to
awaken tho people of the South TO their
true, interests A correspondent writing
of Mr.. Dickson, says:
1.-THE stress OF the late war drove me
into this neighborhood, and gave me an
opportunity of learning much of the ssys-
tenn and success of this enterprising plan
ter. Fifteen years before the war; he
Commenced planting on what was con-
sidered light sandy lands, much exhaust
cd, with a.eapital of $4,000. When the
war broke out, his capital was eighteen
times larger. This result was brought
about by his energy and system; by i'm
proved modes of culture; by improve
ments of agricultural implements by
attention to the health AM comfertof his
laborers; by nursing and protecting his
stock; and care bestowed upon his bees,
his orchardsiand dairy. Above all, and
mainly,k his golden harvest was reaped
from the judicious use of Fertilizers
Having seen who Mr.. Dickson is, hear
now What be has to say on cotton cul-
tnre: .e&t9E tassa..
SPARTA, GA, Feb. 10, 1868.
Editors Southern Cultiuator Thinking
It best to tell what have done, instead
Of giving advice that do not follow, l
will giye.you the details of. the prepara-
tion, smanuring, planting, cultivation, and
production of sixteen acre lot, planted
ID cotton; aud as many may desire to-
know all the particulars, will be as eX-
plicit as / can be in o letter.
Firststhe land is good pine land, and
has been under the plow nearly seventy
years, and as many as ffty-fve years in
cotton. About twelve years ago, it vas
sown. in oats, with 200 lbs. of guane and
bones mized with salt and plaster, and
nads S0fto 35 bushels per acre; all fed
Of BY turning stock in the field. Four
years ago I left it uncultivated until the
middle of July-there was then heavy
growth of weeds on, it. just grown.
turned them in, and dropped peas in eve-
ry third turrow. The result was large
crop, Of vines, and-at least fifteen bushels
Of peas per acre.. These were fed off by
beef cattle.
That, if you call it rest, is all the field
ever had. Tho lot lies between two
branches, running North and South; on
one slope, next to the branch, is a second
gTdTti Of pines-the other is peach or
chard. The cotton was planted on the
top of level ridge, lying within one
fourth to one-balt of mile of Little
Ogeechee. 1t was planted in cotton in
lS66-manured with about one hundred
snd fifty pounds of bones and Peruvian
Sualnro each, and one hundred pounds of
plaster. I commenced on the Sd day of
May, with two horses, to prepare, the
land.;t .;tcotton rows four feet apart ran
two burrows ir the middle of each row,
which stood open about eight inches deep,
and applied to each acre $50 pounds So
luble Bones, I65 pounds No. l Peruvian
guano, and 100 pounds plaster. Salt be-
Ing too high, / omitted that. The mix
tafe was deposited in the bottom of the
fIrrow then covered with long scooter
plow, going about as deep as the other
two fnrrows; then ramon the side OF
each. scooter furrow, with good turning
plow going seven inches deep. After
preparing about six acres in this way,
opened with a small bull-tongue plow =;
dropped the seed and covered lightly
with board-part of it with harrow.
continnedin this way until the lot was
planted, finishing the fifteenth of May
The land being freshly prepared and lit
tie dry, 1T did not come up we'll. The
25th Of May, had fine shower, and on
the first morning of June, there was a
first rate stand. About the first of June,
] turned the plows back To- finish tine
preparation, running scooter six %
inches long, in the bottom of caeia turn
paSw furrow, going seven inches deeper I;
then plowed up the old stalks with a
large, long shovel plow, going under the
old cotton stalks-making nine burrows
to2tbe row, in preparing holand-taking
nine days, with one horse, fer every eight
acres, which was equal to q full sub-soil
ing. You observe the preparation was
not expensive. Including the planting.
it was eleven days work to eight acres
The cotton soon stretched up well.
The first piowing was done with a heavy
% inch sweep, (right wing towards the
end nearly fiat; the back edgo of the
wing about one and fourth of an inch
aboge, 4he front edge in elevation.) |
then hoed out to stand, the width of
No. Scovell hoe, leaving one to three
stalks III hiIk Cotton standing thick
in the drill, will be much forwardcr than
that which is thin. Give it the necessary
distance between the rows.
The second blowing was done with the