The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1869-02-03
Cotton Culture.

There seems to be (says the Yorkvllle
-EhQutrer) throughout the cotton grow.
ing States an earnest effort on the part
Of intelligent farmers to improve the
method OF cotton culture IN such a way
as to compensate for the diaasters en-
tailed upon cotton growing by the
results of tho war. The results of
many experiments in tlfis way could
prove highly interesting to the farmers.
Ono of the latest improvements in
culture, and one at present attracting
considerable attention, is that suggested
by Poulain, of Maryland His plan is
to pant the seeds in hct beds in Feb.
ruary, or early IN March. and thus ma
tnre the plants for transplanting in
April or May. AS the cotton plant is
tender growth, difficult to transplant
in the usual way, he proposes 10 obvlate
this difficulty by using ear,hen pots open
at each end, Of conical sha pc. The
pot is filed with earth and six or eight
seeds placed in it, the proper depth.--
These pots arc arranged in the hot
house on panks, and the plants thinned
out to the proper number when large
enough. When the period for trans.
planting arrives, the planks are remov.
ed to The field with the pots upon them,
then carefully set into hill, and tho pot
removed. A plant, or 10 inches
high is thus started in the field at the
usual period Of planting the seeds. The
conical shape Of the pot admits Its re-
moval from the plant without disturb.
ing the earth or the roots Of the cot.
ton.
Poulain also proposes to place the
plants, thus generated, from to s feet
apart eacl, way, the hills having first
been deeply dug, and well manured. 1t
is asserted that experiments under this
method have yield amply compcnsat.
ing for the labor employed.
a gentleman in Edgcfeld, IN this
State, raised last year fifteen hundred
pounds Of lint cotton to one acre of land,
Under process similar He planted
two stalks to the hill, of a distance of
eight feet each way. The hills were
prepared as if for transplanting fruit
trees, being dug to depth of twenty
inches and two .rect diameter. Sandy
loam and manure was then filed in, and
these seeds planted. The enormous
yield is attributable to the thorough sub
soilng, the manure and the space
tho latter being sufficient to allow the
rays OF the sun to penetrate to the low
er branches Of tho plant, and develop
these fully. AS cotton is essentially a
sun plant, never thriving unless fully
supplied with sun warmth, the philoso
ply of this method is at once apparent.
Another method has been tried in
Union District with the Dixon improv
ed seed. This is to subsoil deeply, and
plant in hills three feet each way, thin
ming out, the plants when large enough,
to two in each hill. About fifteen hun
drcd pounds Of seed cotton to the acre
was obtained from a i've acre field
planted late m the spring in this way
The idea upon which all the methods
Of culture ls based is, in the first place,
more space for the plants and secondly,
to deyelop1the plants thus separated, to
their full maturity. Manure is all i'm
porlant to the latter object. Early
planting in hot.bcds may be brought to
such state Of perfection as to come into
something like general use after a'tme,
but at present. it is too expensive and
tedious to secure for it any degree Of a
popular favor. Cotton growing, like
everything else is on the march towards
Improvement We would like TO see
our neghbors help it along.