, 1869-02-19
COTTON.
{tS Cultivation before tht War--SeaSon
for Plunting-Ths Cotton Worm
Product Per Acre.

kE&4ASutG4GEk k4tt - 4EIEAl%cI cE SAl2 l
,r citizen Of the United States to dwell In
ny PORTION Of this country, hare thought
hat few paragraphs from one who has
[yed Tor twenty years in the heart Of the
region may not be without
interest to au occasional reader.
Leaving the South two years before the
opening Of the war, my personal acquaint-
nee with cotton growing was under the old
Fegime. So ask 10 write Of It as it was,
.hough many things then pertaining to cot
ton culture hare, thank God, been irret1lev-
ably consigned to the past.
haye.no design to give the history Of the
I" giant staple'' which, for years, originated |
and supported half the profitable industry Of |
the globe. Encyclopedias render this uu- |
necessary. Neither do I aspire to produce |
treatise on the ralue, consumption, or com- |
mcrc!al importance OF this commodity in the
past. Nor do venture prediction CONCERN
ing its future. To give some Of the details Of
cotton culture, as, year by year, they trans
pircd before ny eyes, is tho humble purpose
OF this article.
Though cotton Is cultivated to some extent
In the southwestern AID southern portions of
Tennessee, there being some fine model ptant-
ntions In the vicinity OF Memphis. the cotton
growing territory proper Is confined to tho
Gun states. The plant IN these tower in re.
gal luxurlancc above the head Of the tallest
picker, while In Tennessee it rises scarcely
nhore the knee.
1hc frs, step In the process of cotton
raising Is 10 mskc ready the field by freeing
il OF the last crops stalks. Planters usual
u ehter upon tbis work Immediately after
tue close Ct the <.picklnE seas H." which
occurs near The Christmas holidays. The
preparations are seldom delared later than
tbe FIRST Of February. The Mems usually
etnploScd to dcstsay tho brown, unsighsly
mense piece OF timber. Thss Is crawn along
the Gotten ridge, breaking aud crushing the
stalks before it. II the soil is to have rest,
Other land being devoted to cotton, these
stalks nrc plowcd IN and their soft wood
allo" cd 10 decay for tue cnrlchlng OF the
stalks nrc heapcd aud burned. again the
| field is cleared by the Hands" pnll,n- up
| thc stalks, root md branch, or by breaking
them down With heavy csubs.
Though the rIowmaH's whistle is often
heard as enrly as M1rch, especially If the
seast.n Is fors ard aud Ills rnaster enterpris,pg,
yet the plowi'g ot the CO t N ac4Is Is gen
orally begun in april, and the cott,n planted
during ibc first week Of THIS mouth. An car.
| l,cr tlnntinE Is not dcsirnblc. rs q late trost
call q certaln spring, when III the 1tth Of
April, In tho interior Of Georgia, most
promising cotton crop was. for miles and
ltngues, cut down in singic night by frost,
md yet IN tbls very locn!,sy have sceu lhc
orchards iu tlooin III February
The nfht plow]ug Is With the purpose ri
tol ming the ~ "ntcr burrows" To effect
ILLS heavy plow Is employed which piles
The Garth IN two rtdtcs. On these tao
"drllis'. urc ttrned by light p'ows, each Of
WHO str, % VI tbe sced inickiy m tic " Irlll'
by thu hyndf,l. re objrct III tho proiusu
tlte I ! seed must bc to srcurc, uvntnst many
cn<s,nltcs, Il rn ID "stand' nl cotton. ei'co
TIT surplus seeds atc wurtt,ras, except ior
manure tlNuu!l rutnr rlAntcrs fccd them n
fnotlornlr 4uan,l'irn to ltrir hugs. thu yicis'
ii I'll being contldc. ahtr-thIs proluttofs III
tfntlirRts IA not cxt,avagat &C. II u plh,!tul
| Ina II f1,,c variety ut cotton, tir eccde-hftci
te.crying t,r hs avn ,l-onli that no icasrcs-:
nrr irrcl, ~ ttc tsrvic' III, l'ls iclg!'hur'. !
10 nmrsnl,rr nf trn Ing In iAy cl.lldn"osl
lint ti,c nrcrocx, away down South IN l.oat
| riaDn, wr,n frt 0sl cn Inn scrti, hut lsavl
s,ncr hct 'h!n ttuAA Us M mxrn'!.ti snr th'
l,ss, u III uLtuly tr ilntntfhf1il AlAvnn,. n!.le
tln negro u especially vn'a'Fn"su u hl
stomach.
To seturn 10 my co,ton planting. Attc
thu tuwpr Gomez The harrow, Throwing th
. ilnc earth Oh thr set,is In which no much II
wealth uLd power ,s contained. Tl.e eYcllna
t stances be!',s favora'r", IN week ne pla,nte
btcinp 10 look ior tho young plant. Wh,c
. apptats, IenrtnG twin leaves. glossy an
slulflcric i, with ! single intcntation, giyin
the ie4i something Of heart ahapt.
Ttc 81 ung plan:s src left nn'nolested Unit
, they have attained to height otabout thre
inches, and then the ~ scraplug' Of The col
Ton bes,nt. light ptow Is run dexsrou'
" on each btde OF the cotton ridge, close t
e tire delicate ,.lants, throwing tue roll frs,t
r the roots and pilinE it into lhc 6 water fu
e rows Then rome the u hands" With shlr
) hoes cutting away tnc luuck and grass Gu
I m Twin 7Y~n1- ISff ff
j, luches OF 1oo., Einele thrifty cotton plant
J. Oh ahe smoothly .gta, red Edge.
Is ! haye seen rev exhibitions Of kkill surpas
n Inv that displayed hy the negroes In u scTa
Ing cottoD,n have anu. ed myself by II
IS hour In watching them. a out the favor
n plants, y hich are to b. spared, iu whose +
l. lection great discrimination md judgme
n arc manifested, theu rude hnes will CLAN
= ana play {makng one tremble for the lie
d the delicate thlugs} as With graceful, regal
,I strokes thcY cut away the thickly-set suoA
q and weeds until every form Of vegetable III
ID except the elected plants, Is "ltheEing IN
u | tnn.
n This first ecraptng beng accomplished, t
lc "haud>" aro wiihtra ~ from tue cotton Il
4 employed in plan 'in, the corn, for the psll
Of ers generally roise thelr 9"n @ sorn ana po, ss
~ to cotton-a rowing. In the planting,
ae ucIcs OF cotton aud nvo OF coru rre reckon
" to euch "deld hand" For fortnight
ID cotru is lett to itself, except that so
be over the ne3as, to ne sure taat the ''ftan
ed The frost, Or from other can>cs. 1t
SO Of en- necessary to replant m enrira cr'
v, After the :" "scra,ioc" the plants lett on
~. crest Of the ridge have, Of course, 1t
NJ heat CT The se ason intcnsifes. it Is recessl
1se to give the roots deeper earth. ~ II the
wo ttr half Of Ma5 the piow II required to
rerse It's last operation, aud return the
10 the roots. 10 the support Of The pl
Us follow the hoes, shifting the choking '
ay flowers weeds and +'crop grass" At
Re- season in the history Of the cotton croi
Of there greater need uf q strong 1sht ior
ey, lie. A general couscrip:i 4 puts every ay
thc able It baud" TITO the field. Tho mls:r
Iig- perhaps, heroically sends to the comea
bic | i-hments, rewards, stimulate the lanoF
Of Early aud late they work. They grow
,m- thu>iastlc in their light with the grass, VII
ave they come TO regard as their natural cns'
,tr A Iccro mclodv I once heard. desctiptiv
ced state Of heavenly bliss, with the etng'
.acs No s,ast in de cotton dr.
Nv. The plow and the hoe arc III steady
n,r p}oy until this war between the planter
hr nature closes, as 1t does IN JulS. Then
ony crop Il gone over f.r the last ttme;
49,, "water burrows are tecpen:d aud the pls
tms a1s. arc left growing on ridges. The crop is
"laid by," as ii vel MaY be, for it Is bey
md the control Of human agency. At this
raj son, the planters real Hnxicties for bis
led begin. The "rafny season." If prat1ac
t;e: The rapid growth and development Of
'h.n md foliage. Du1ing This season
III ihe .srpst," which affects the !
-t1 "a apd the t.1ot,' j. which attacks the hofi,
r,..a causes decay u thc hh-c. It appears gu
;iia@ r,nd IN a dark spot, WHICH sends disulas
thc the heart Ct the planter. Beside these
,cu. Cases, th. cotton bolis are often at8ackc
nm. WORMS, as aIe the roofs.
thn But The scousg. of the cotton plan: l.
sfiv "armT worm !" more to be feared than
,-a:. otbcr cylle, to y hich It Il hei1, eanhined
~ From the fcrs Ut q modest, iu1oceat-l
80 iug, Quaker-lke moth, come tho aru
,arc ce:esplllars, which overrun and des;
1n,i 49, fleld af1cs field OF promising cotton
,nch e1err le,t which they devour they er7
nee. size and ucliuess aud destructive c;pa
of You see them grow Is sou gAe, and
= raw ~ they have attained the acuae Of ugliaes'
49,. swelling loaths ssTneuess, they ask but
: ~. | hours fcr the devastation Of dtlds-
a. then move Ia gr.a A. streams to other I
.a.s tie.. desolatltx cyery inch Of their pata
naou @ ald dcf5 I1g all c:afta 70 arrest Or annli
49,. them.
C 1nd = soates!u s..ts,k scon-1s - ~
w. witt csScd the invasion Of the trruy y
as it attempted to pass from deso'ates
ton f,cld To one Untouched. Between
fields WIS wide d.ch, which, bad
dct rcped to prove barsitr to the or
80" march ot the worm. Dawn the perpcn
A"o7 lar etdea OF this trench the catcrpl!lars
1880 IN untoa6 millions, untll Its bottom aas =
omas mile 10 1tcrt was a foot Or t~o dee
~ at l ,s.i-- ,,n,. .T nnt+,oi ii tn nm Y0f