The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1869-11-24
REPORT

cs 4nN}4. REPORT .,..
ION TIE BEST METHOD OF CUl.ryATlNg
.... COTTON, READ BEFORE THE STATE AGRI.
.: CULTURAL SOCIETY. #.l. ... ..a
.,y Tho Committee to whom was assigned
the, duty Of reporting upon the Best
Method of Cultivating Cotton, beg re-
specially to submit tho following paper
ns tho result Of their conclusions.
., In approaching the business of cotton
culture, two general considerations should
DO regarded, one that of climate, the
other of soil. Though cotton is the great
American staple of export, and pro-
claimed king in the commercial world,
still no leading crop Of tho country has
been SO little studied by scientific men,
and mono cultivated with so little refer.
enco to fundamental principles of agri.
cultural chemistry. In the United States
cotton is produced in tho belt that
reaches from 40 deg. North latitude to
the Gulf Of Mexico. in the upper pa rt
ofsthis belt, between SO and 4Oo 1t is an
exotic, and one half or moro Of it's pro-
ductivc power is cut away by damp
and chilly April and frosty October.
The capacity Of the lands Of the Southern
States, for the production Of cotton, is
due less to soil than to climate. ....
" the relations of the mountains to
tho;seh, and Of, the Great Valley to the
Gulf into which its waters flow, is to be
found the true secret Of tho rapid accent
ofl cotton to great commercial and po-
Htical power. The peculiar climate Of
tho colt"n States is supposed to bc pro.
dnced by the cham Of mountains which
interscct our country, tho lower Allie
ghnny range extending westward in the
hills of Northern Georgia, Alabama and
Mississippi. On these the moisture
brought inland by the sea breeze from
the Gulf aud Gulf stream is cOadcnscd,
and falls ia showers or frequent occur
rulcc, but not in long streams; these
showers occur often ia spring but rarely
III midsummer aud autumn, thus uSu-
ally giving dry Seasons for gathering the
crop. The natural demands Of The cotton
p1ant require a tropical or semitropical
climate that affords seven or eight
months entirely secure from (rostS, and
may therefore be essentially termed a
cfild Of the sun that does not rejoice in
copious moisture, and can thrive and
como To perfection with less rain than
any plant cultivated on tho continent.
The thirty second degree, or linc
drawn across the Gulf States through
Montgomery and jackson, is the centre
Of the cotton belt, aud for M hundred
miles on each side Of that parallel, North
aud South, especially the lands border
ing the lower half Of the afllucnts Of tho
Gulf, and tributaries of tho Mississippi,
cotton Is produced to an extent and of n
quality surpassed by no other equal arca
Of the carth's surfacc. This is it's natu.
raj home here is its chosen domain.
Having thus advertcd to the peculiar
Influences Of climate which prevails to
such an cXtont in tho culture Of cotton,
we now propose to refer to the different
classes Of soil most suitable, their prepa-
ration, with method Of cultivation of
cotton. There are three classes Of soil
well suited to the production of cotton.
First tho soft argillaccous or rotten
limestone lands Of South Carolina, Gcor.
yia, parts Of Alabama> and Mississippi,
and a small part Of Texas. This lcscrip.
tion Of soil is soft, fne md friable, easily
washed away, and in many places entire
~ free from stones. The second class oI
cotton lands are tho rich. black cane
orcak lands Of middl: Alabama, and the
ol"ck rolling prairics Of Texas. These
:rc generally called the black lands, and
ea1Dot bc surpassed by any alluvious (ol
Ghc ecrsainty wdth which they product
crops. The alluvious or river bottom:
arc tho third and most valuable class 0
cotton lands. Successive oycrllows hav'
deposited on these lands an cxhaustlcs
bed Of vegetable mould, with sand an,
syasn from the hills, through which tn
falling rains easily pass to porous sub
soil 49, .., 'o.
tfhc varieties Of soil Of South Carolin
best adapted for cotton may bo define,
md Chased as post oak and black jacI
lQnds, red, mulattoo and sandy lands
Any or all OF these lands, whcro rolling
should bc protected from washing by
system Of circle ditching aud plowine
as upon this practice with manuring, dc
ponds tho preservation and rcstoralio
Gf our cotton lands.
We refer next to the preparation Of tn
soil with planting and cultivation. Th
ploWs should be started just as early |
tho spring as tho season will permit-sa
by tho first Of February, colnmencin
with tho rolling Or red lands, which wi
ofton DO found dry enough; tho sam
InaY, be said Of tho lowor counties {
Carolina ne. ~ .s ). .hn"
Generally, the direct preparation for
crop commences with February. II tn
breadth was planted in cotton, tho pr'
vious year it viii bo necessary to keep
hand or two in advance Of tho plow wit
hoes or clubs to broak down tho ol
cotton stalks, Or pull thom UP by tn
roots, Nnl throY them into piles for burr
ing Tho stnlks arc easily broken in col
woathor, but where thoy arc not Of ver
rank growth, may DO plowcd ip. Whc'
cotton was tho previous crop, and n
change in tho width Of rows is dosirabl