Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-02-18
AgrfcuIturaI--H0wT Three Bales OF Gotten
Were made ON One Acre OF Land. s u

! Colonel 3. g. Lockett Communicates to
Colonel Styles of the Albany News the
naodus 0peTdndi employed by him in pro-
ducing the enormous yield of 81 ,206 pounds
of seed cotton from six ecres of land. Jack
Below we give Colonel Lockett d letter.
IN full with the accompanying certifcates:
ALBANY, GA, Dec. 20, 1869.
CoLoNEL q. w. STYn2s--De0r Sjrs--I
had prepared and planted six acres of land
in cotton this year, the result OF which
twenty seven thousand two hundred and
six pounds OF seed cottonl, was intended
for the Georgia State Fair. !,
The premium having been awarded Jor-
dan d Lockett for the greatest yield on
two acres, aEn receiving many letters ask.
ing information as 10 the mode of prspe-
ration and cultivation of land. Ihope, :,
therefore, you will have the kindness I'd
pHblish the following statement for the
benefit OF ali wishing TO know. 3 y ay Es
The land was first broken with the Watt
& Knight a. B. plow, the large mould
board attached, breaking the land about
six inches deep-this was done the latter
part of January. The land remained in
this condition until ready to be planted,
which was done on the oath of April. The
rows were laid off five feet apart with an
ordinary scooter plow, following in each
turrow with double wing shovel sixteen
inchea long and eleven inches wide. drawn
by two mules, Tn this fnrrow was distri-
buted about one hundred and fifty bushels
OF well rotted horse lot manure, and three
hundred pounds of "John Merryman &
Co.'S, ammoniated dissolved bones" per
acre. This was then covered with the
Watt & Knight A b. plow, small mould
board attached, following in each furrow
with sub-soil plow breaking in all about
fifteen inches deep. AS soon as the pre-
paration was completed the seed was
planted, putting one bushel per acre, with.
the Dow Law planter.
AS soon as the cotton was large enough,
it was plowed with the sweep, cutting
twenty-fcnr inches wide, and one-half inch
deep, and was at once chopped to O stand
using No. 2, shovel, hoe, leaving one and
two, and sometimes three stalks-the
width Of tho hoe-and as neor as we could,
and ten thousand stalks per acre. The
cotton was hoed twice and plowed seven
times, using each time the twenty four
inch sweep and never cutting over one
half inch deep. It was cultivated with
twenty-one burrows, but equally as good
work could have been done with fifteen
furroWs by using sweep a few inches
wider.
am also asked my opinion relative to
the number Of stalks that should be left on
the acre to make the greatest yield. There
is great diversity of opinion upon this
subject. My experience has been that
much depends upon the variety of cotton
seed planted. Those planting that variety
of cotton which grows largely with long
limbs, will never make large yield by
leaving eight or ten thousand stalks on
an acre, while the prolific or short limb
cotton will do better with this number
than less.
L have endeavored to answer intelligibly
and conscisely all the questions asked, and
hope the statement may be of benefit to
those asking the information.
Below / hand you the evidence of the
yield, furnished the committee at the State
Fair.
Most respectfully yours,
u. G. LoCKETT.