The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1870-02-09
How Three Bales Of Cotton
were made on one Acre Of
Land,

Colonel B. G. Lockett commu-
nicates to Colonel Styles of the
Albany Ne,os tho modas operandi
employed by him in producing the
enormous yiold Of 27,2OG pounds
of seed cotton on six acres Of land.
Below wo give Colonel Loclsott's y
lcttcrin full with tho accompanying
certificate:
ALBANY, GA. Doc. 20, 1869.
Col. G. W. SrYLEs-Dear SIR
1 had prepared and planted six
acres Of land in cotton this year,
Tho result Of which (twcnty-sovcn
thousand two hundred and six
pounds Of sood cotton,) was inton-
ded for tho Georgia State Fair.
The premium having been
awarded Jordan and Lockctt for
tho greatest yield on two acres, 1
am receiving many letters asking
information rs to tho mode of pre-
paration and cultivation of land.
1 hope, therefore, you will havo
tho kindness 20 publish tho follow
ing statement for tho benefit of
oil wishing to know:
The land was first broken with
tho Watt 4 Knight-A. B. plow,
tho large mould-board attachea
breaking tho land ahccSatt six inches
decp-thls was dono the latter
part OF january. The land ro-
mained ii this condition until
ready to be planted, which was
dono on the Gath Of April. Tho
rows were laid off five feet apart
with an ordinary scooter plow,
following in each furrow with a
double wing shovel sixteen in
ches long and eleven inches wide,
drawn by two mules. In this fur
row was distributed about one
hundred and fifty bushels Of we'll
rottcd horse lot manure, and three
hundred pounds Of "John Merry
man & Co.'S ammoniatcd dissolved
bones," por acre. This was thon
covered with tho 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 preparation was COM
pletod the seed were planted, put
ting one bushel per acre, with the
Dow Law planter.
As soon AS tho cotton was largo
enough, it was plowed with tho
sweep cutting twenty-four inches
wide, and ono-half inch doep, and
was at onco chopped to u stand,
using tho No. 2 shovel hoe, lcav.
ing one and two, and sometimes
thrcc stallks-thc width Of tho hoo
AND as near rs we could, and ton
thousand stalks per each acre.
The cotton was hocd twice and
plowod seven times using each
time tho twcnty-tour inch sweep
and never cutting over onc-half
inch deep. 1t was cultivated with
twcnty-one burrows, but equally
good work could havc been done
with fiftccn burrows by using Il
sweep a few inches wider.
l am also asked my opiniou rel
ativo to the number of stalks that
should be left on tho acre to make
tho greatest yiold. There is great
diversity Of opinion upon this sub
jcct. My experience has been
that much depends upon tho va
ricty of cotton seed dplantcd. Those
planting that variety Of cotton
which grows largo with long
limbs, will mover mako a largo
yield by leaving eight or ten
thousand stalks on an acre, while
tho prolific Or short limb cotton
will do bctter with this number
than less.
I have cndcavorcd to answer in
telligibly and conciscly all the
questions asked, and hope tho
statement may bo of benefit to
those asking the information.
Below I hand you evidence of
the yield, furnished tho Commit.
tee at tho State Fair.
Most respectfully yours,
B. G. LooKETT.
Tho land was first bushcd with
tho Watt Il Knight "A. b. plow,
the largo monId and board at
tachcd, breaking about six inchos
deep. a few days before plant
ing, tho rows wcro laid Off with
tho ordinary scooter plow, five
fcot wide, followed by n double
wing shovel plow sixtccn inches
long by eleven inches wide, drawn
by two mules. In this furrow
was about ono hundred and fifty
bushels horse lot manure, and
three hundred pounds of John
Mcrryman & Co.'s "ammoniatod
dissolved boncs," per aero. We
bodied upon this with tho Watt
q knight "A. b. plow, small mould
board attached, following in each
furrow with a sub-soil plow, break.
ing in all about fifteen inches
doep.
On tho Oath Of April, it was
planted. The soed planted is
known as the "IIunt Variety
This cotton was plowod scven
times with tho sweep. cuttin1