The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-08-10
DEEP CULTURE FOR COTTON.
The Method and the Benefit.

from MIR. 8. !. Gustin, prominent and sue
cessful cotton planter Of VinevilIe, Georgia,
will be read with interest by everybody inter-
osted in the culture OF our great staple
y1sEy11LE. August I'll feel embarrassed
by the prominence which has been gwen my
cotton patch in tho Telegraph, as you are
| aware that I baye no taste tor public contro-
| yersy with those who advocate different Gull
| ture. But as you and some OF your reaGers
seem anxlous to get more information about
il, will try 10 describe, as briefly as possible,
nv method of culture on this patch.
| I am thoroughly convinced, from experience,
that the benefits uf deep ploughing in winter
and spriag are lost, to great extent. iflt ie
not followed up BY deep culture afterwards.
Because the ground soon becomes hard and
compact underneath. II only the surfaco soil is
cultivated in SWALLOW manner; the dlsadVan-
| taees Of which will speak hereafter.
The cotton patch in question IS on gentle
| slope of a red hill, aud more soil has been
washed from it, 10 the lands below, than has
been washed upon it from those above. II is
free from stones and stumps. But was nearly
as hard as brick when 1t was ploughed for
the fret time III the early part OF May. last.
Before plouehing I sowed upon 1t broadcast
'Gustln's Superphosphate," at the rate Of 500
pounds per acre. With tour muies to one or
BrInley's largest sized prairie ploughs 1t was
p.oughed eight incbes dacp-followed in the
same furrow by subsoil plough, running
Jwe.ve inches deep. The same quantity OF
harro we'd in. The soil was thus pretty thor
oughiy pulveIiZed and 6isintegrated to the
depth OF eighteen or twenty inches, and en-
ricled with superphosphate at the rate Of 1000
pounds per acre.
You Will say that that is pretty expensive. But
will venture to say that this land will pro-
duce quite us much cotton sud as much corn
as the best land on plantation in Floyd coun-
ty which sold for 500 per acre a few weeks ago.
| After narrowing it was checked Of with
small plough 3z6 feet in which the seed were
plante1-a single plant only was lett to q hill
aud covered with hoe, which was the only
work done with q hoe-as the subsequent cu!-
Litter aud horse hoe. 1t has bsen oultivs' ed
four times with the subsoil liter and twice
| with the hCrse hoe.
This subsoil lift r liz made OF wrought iron
is light aud can easily b, drawn by single
mule or horse where the ground has been pre-
vously subsoIled. From its peculiar construc'
| tioL it Luras no fnrfow, bat works under the
ground like mol, TO the depth of about
fifteen inches, slightly raising the soil az it
moves along. The coil in falling back Is pull
verzsd at least a foot on either side Of its
| TRACK.
The horse hoe is an improvement on the cul-
tivator and effectually DESTROYS oil veed5 and
thoroughly pulveri2ss the surface sol.
At the first working OF the cotton the supsoiI
| litter was run four times bstweep the rows the
| wide wav-three times the ssoond-twice the
| third time-aud once at the last working, run
ming as closely as possible to the plants every
tima.
There is no danger Of destr -ying or iniuring
| the roots Dy this method OF culture il the
plough is not run 80 near that the swingl
breaks the branches on the contrary, it ia the
very best preparati ID for the rapid multiplica-
| ton aud extension OF the small fbr0us roots
which are the feeders to the plants.
This deep culture must be kept up from the
| beginning. II the roots are prevented from
growius downwards by the hardness and pov-
erty OF the soil below, and are forced to extend
themselves only near the surface, deep plough
| ing, uuder such circumstances, would undoubt-
edly mutilare tn ,se roots, to the injury OF the
plant and cause it 10 shed its fruit.,
This cotton Is now about fve.aad O half foot
high, and where the stand is perfect, the
branches meet IN every direction, and are 30
heavily laden with fruit that some Of the
branches are splitting off with the weight.
It was planted On the 9th Of May, and has
grown rapidly from the start. IL was not in
jured in the least by the drought, and at that
time not single fallen boil, square or form
could DO found. Since the rains have noticed
cultivated 80 deeply eau hardly be injured by
drought and are benefited in various other
ways.
Ii must be remembered tina. the atmosphere
| is the great store bouse from which plants de-
rive at least nine-tenths OF the substances OF
| which they are composed. Ammonia is con-
stautlv escaping into the atmosphere from de-
cayire animal and vegetable matter. Carbonlc
acid gas and wator are largely difused in the
atmosphere. and the hotter the weather the
more water is held in suspension. We all know
how large portion OF tree is charcoal or
carbon, and that when it is burnt aud combines
with tho oxyeen of tho atmosphere and becomes
carbonic acid gas-ln invisible gas escaping
into the atmosphere-how httle is left behind
81 q residuum. That little is the product OF
the soil. What has disappeared Is substance
derived from the atmosphere.
Now, If the soil be deeply pulverized. 80 as
to allow free circulation OF the atmosphere
through it, tho watery vapor is condensed by
coming into contact with the cool substratum
Of the earth. on the came principle that the
atmosphere condenses upon the sides OF
pitcher filled with cold water upon a warm
midsummer day-thuj supplying the roots
with moisture holding in solution these fertlll-
ENG gases which the atmosphere contains, 30
necessary to the growth and development OF
the plant, and in thIs condition 30 readily to
be taken up by its roots and hbres.
Besides all this these atmospheric goses
and water make soluble and food for the
plant other substances in the earth, which
without tn am would remain insoluble, inert
and useless.
A deeply pulvsrized soil has still another ad-
vantage in dry weather. 1t draws up the
moisture from below, upon tho principle OF
capillary attraction, which may be illustrated
BY holding lump OF loaf sugar part way i'm.
merced in your cup OF cofoe. The gu ear will
Immediately draw up sufficient Of the liquid 10
become saturated with the moisture.
Ali theso advantages are greatly diminished
or entirely lost in hard. compact soil. When
the rains fall-impregnated with these fertlliz-
ing gases-if tho soil be deeply mellowed and
porous, they are absorbed at once and pene-
trate to the ROOFS OF the plants, with their rich
burden OF lite and health. But il only the sur
IA :e Is mellow, and tho ground bo s!oping. or
hilly, most Of he rain rms OF carrying with
1t much Of the surface mould into the streams
below. On the other hand, should the ground
be level it lies lpon the surface till evaporated
BY tho sun and the enriching gases escape
again into the atmosphere which SHOULD be sp-
plopriated by the crop.
Water which lies upon the surface till evap-
GRATED by the sun makes the ground cold. 1t
takes the heat from it t0 convert tho water into
vapor, upon the same principle that room ,r
sidewalk is cooled by sprinkllDg with water on
q sunny day. Finally, II the waller remains
upoo the surface long enough to tecoms stag
nant, j, becomes so poisonous to the plants
that they turn yellow aud sickly:
1t would be easy, Mcssrs., Editors, 10 pro-
long these re marks indefinitely, but haVo no
time. I hold you responsible altogether for
this apparent obtruNoa OF my vlews. have
no desire to ohanpioniye them. or to combat
conflicting opinions; but, having appealed to
80 flo