The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1869-01-27
Cotton Culture,


YorkYille Enquirer) throughout
the cotton-growing States an earn
est effort on the part Of intelligent
farmers to improve the method of
cotton culture in such way as
to compensate for the disasters en-
tailed upon cotton growing by
the results Of the war. The re-
suits Of many experiments in this
way would prove highly interest
ing to our farmers.
One of the latest improvements
in culture, and one at present at
tracing considerable attention is
that, suggested by Poulain, Of
Maryland. His plan is to plant
the seeds in hot beds in February,
or early in March, and thus mature
the plants for transplanting in
April or may. As the cotton plant
is a tender growth, difficult to
transplant in the usual way, hepro-
poses to obviate this difficulty by
using earthen pots open at each
end, of a eonical shape. The pot is
filed with earth and six or eight
seeds placed in it, the proper depth.
These pots are arranged in the
hot house on planks, and the
plants thinned out to the proper
number when large enough h.
When the period for transplanting
arrives, the planks are removed to
the field with the pots upon them,
then carefully set into the hills,
the earth closed around the hill,
and the pot removed. A plant,
eight or ten inches high, is thus
started in the field at the usual
period Of planting the seeds. The
conical shape of the pot admits its
removal from the plant without
disturbing the earth or the roots
of the cotton.
Poulain also proposes to place
the plants, thus generated, in hills
from four to eight feet apart each
way the hills having first been
deeply dug, and we'll manured. It
is asserted that experiments under
this method have produced
yield amply compensating for the
labor employed.
- 4 gentlemen in Edgefeld, in
this State, raised last year fifteen
Randred pounds of lint cotton to
one acre Of land, under a process
some#hat similar. He planted
two stalks tethe hill, at distance
of eight feet each way. The hills,
were prepared as if for transplant
ing fruit trees, being dug down to
adepth of twenty inches and two
feet diameter. Sandy loan and
manure was then filed in, and
the seeds planted. The enormous
yields attributable to the thorough
shbssoiing, the manure and the
space-the latter being sufficient
TO allow the rays of the sun to
penetrate to the lower branches of
the plant and develop these fully.
AS cotton is essentially sun
plant, never thriving unless fully
supplied with sun warmth, the
philosophy of this method is at
once apparent. -... -.
= Another method has been tried
in Union District with the Dixon
improved seed. This is to subsoil
deeply, and plant in hills three
feet each way, thinning out the
plants when large enough, to
two in, each hill. About fifteen
hundred pounds of seed cotton to
the acre was obtained from a FIVE
acre field planted late 10 the spring |
in this way. " |
81 The idea upon which all the
new methods of culture is based is,
in the first place, more space for |
the plants; and secondly, to de-
veaop the plants thus separated,
to their full maturity. Manure is
all important to the latter object.
Early planting in hot-beds may
Be ebrought to such a state of per
feetion as to come into something
like general use after a time, but at |
present it is too expensive and
tedious to secure for it any degree |
Unpopular favor. Cotton growing,
like everything else with US, is
on the march towards improve
uonf We would like tn see onr