The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-01-21
Poullains System of Cotton Culture-The
Details and Economy of the System.

is attracting considerable attention in va
rious quarters. In q letter, published in
the Georgia papers, Mr.. Poulaln has
given explicit information in regard to
this system, from which we make the
following extracts for the benefit OF our
readers
1t must be apparent to every one that
the revolution which has been mace in
our system of labor, has made necessary
q new system of cotton culture. The la
bor upon which the growth Of cotton has
heretofore depended, does not appear to
be either increasing OF likely to increase.
There is no indication that when trained
hands of this generation pass off in the
course of nature, that their places can
be supplied from the same source. To
regain our agricultural prosperity, these
conditions make it requisite that we
should devise some improved system OF
culture which will give us an increased
yield from small area. We must culti-
vate less land and make that land prof
table by making it produce as~-much as
our extended cultivation formerly yielded.
Having, during the experience of many
years. discovered that the losses in the.
cotton crop were, in a great degree, ow.
ing to the want of deep preparation OF
the soil in preventing the roots of the
plant from penetrating to the depth OF
perpetual moisture, adopted the method
of digging holes-say from fifteen to
twenty-four inches deep and two feet
square, throwing out the clay and filing
the hole with surface soil. By this meth.
cd l mako u soil from Is to "a inches
deep. Should the soil be poor, I manure
it richly in the prepared hole. The guam
tity and the quality of the manure de-
mands the best judgment of the farmer.
Our ploughing is not generally four
inches deep. Cotton planted with such
preparation can only send its roots about
five inches deep. When drouth over
takes it the fibrous roots and the tap
roots being near the surface are destroy
ed, or more or less injured by heat, from
want of moisture. The plant then sheds
most of its forms.
On the improved plan above indicated
the roots of the plant penetrate from fit
teen to twenty-four inches into the region
of perpetual moisture. No drought can
affect it. The cotton has uninterrupted
growth, and the whole or nearly all OF
the forms mature
Gotten is an exotic. The longer the
season can be had upon it, provided the
preparation of tbc soil is adapted to it,
the moro it viii produce. The larger
(not talcr) the stock becomes the greater
| IL - 10 RI
to day. The proportioned increase at the
proper season, from day to day, is Won
derful 1t was to meet this point that |
adopted the method of transplanting in
ordinary use by gardeners and horticul-
tursts, but found it too slow and ex'
pensive to be applied to field culture.
This led me to seek q new mode.
Nv invention of the method of trans
planting consists, or arises, from the
shape and nature Of my cup. The cupis
the frustrum of cone open at both ends,
say four inches long, four inches broad at
the bottom, and three inches broad at
the top. These cups arc to he placed in
hot beds-say bed in each acre, fifteen
feet long and FIVE feet broad. The large
end cf tho cup rests upon the bottom OF
the bed, and the small end up. They
should be filled with rich earth, woods
earth preferable, and such cups planted
with eight or ten seed, from four to eight
weeks before the usual planting time.
Care should be taken to cheat" the seed
to insure quick termination. At the
proper timc, after the seed has come up.
the planter 'thins" his crop "to stand"
according to his judgment, easily ard
quickly, with the fingers, by simply pull
ing up the surplus plants of weaker
growth. To insure perfect success, the
hot beds should be closely made and COW
ored with glass. The cups. soon after
the cotton terminates, is filled with the
tap and fibrous roots of the plant, which
preserves them from injury. Whilst the
plants are in the hot bed it is often neces-
sary to water them, but this is easily and
quickly done with a watering-pot. When
there is no longer danger from spring
frosts the planter transplants the con-
tents of each cup into the place prepared
for it by drawing the cup over the plart.
Attention should be had to airing the
plants when the weather is warm and
favorable to open culture.
Now, as to the limit of production,
which seems to have taxed your credulity
so sorely. There are 1861 holes or hills
in an acre of ground, prepared accor-
ding to my method, say eight feet
from row to row, and four feet in the
drill land not eight feet, as you have er-
roneously stated it.) The general esti-
mate is that 100 full grown pods or bolls
will make pound of seed cetton. Two
thirds of the weight of seed cotton is
due to the seed, or, in other words, there
can be gotten one-third weight Of lint
cotton from any given number of pounds