The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-07-13
Discovery In Cotton Culture.
PROTECTING THE PLANT FROM FRosr-RR-
MARKABLE RESULTS.

The Demopols (Ala.) Exponent tells the fol.
lowing almost Incredible story about the growth
of cotton tree, protected from the frost:
In 1867 planter of this county, living some
IL miles from this city, conceived the idea that
the cotton plant properly cared for could be
made to bear for more than one year. BE be-
lieved that the vitality of the plant was de-
stroyed by frost and frost only. The result of
his experience, which ne will give ih his own
words, is of unspeakable importance to the
material interests Of the cotton growing coun-
try, placing us above and beyond the necessi.
ties and ahnoyanees of our present system Of
labor.
His account of shccess which Is far beyond
his most sanguine expectations, is largely
youched for, and is as follows:
IT lost 8 large amount of money in 1866; the
year succeeding the surrender, in my farming
operations and despaired, almost, of the future
of the cotton section, in the many sleepless
nights passed thinking over my own affairs
and what the future had in store for myself and
neighbors, whose dependence for existence res
ted solely upon agricultural productions, OF
which the culture of cotton was the chiefest,
the main stay, in fact, of the cotton States, the
foundation upon which was built all they en-
joyed of prosperity in manufacturing, in bank
ing, in merchandising, in all that went to make
up the sum of their varied industries and in
terests, threatened, as these interests seemed to
be, about to suffer extinction by system of
labor that made the cost Of production OF the
cotton crop greater than the value of the ar:
ticle produced. By inspiration, for it coult
have been fothihg else it occurred to me that
could the annual killing of the plant by frost
be prevented the plant might become tres-a
fruitful ever-bearing tree.
Success has exceeded my most sanguine ex-
pectations, my widest dreams. will tell You
exactly how proceeded and describe the re-
suit. In the spring of 1867 selected q. spot
of ground, about 40 feet square, planted in the
center cotton seed, tended it carefully; in
September built about it "a pen some eight feet
square and covered it with glass, kept ther-
mometer in it, and by the aid of small stove.
kept life and growth in the plant until May OF
1868, at which time removed the pen. Du-
ring the summer of '6S my plant grew till it
became a small tree. In the fall of the year I
picked 800 pounds of seed cotton from it and
built another pen ON the same plan, but larger
than the first followed the same process
through the winter and again removed my pen
in the spring of '69. That year picked from
what was then a tree, cotton that made bale
of 476 pounds. The tree had now grown so
large that deemed it safe from frost, and in
the winter of $50 and 10 left it unprotected.
In the spring of 10 it bloomed at the same
time with the peach tree, and in the fall l
made from it ,299 pounds Of lint cotton. At this
writing the tree is in full bloom and promises
at least three bales of cotton and is the wonder
of all who see it.
'Tt is some twenty or twenty-five feet in
height, measures at she butt nineteen inches in
diameter, shows no signs of decay, and will
probably live and bear fruit for years to come.
If this statement does not settle the labor Ques-
ton nothing will. have endeayored to de-
scribe succinctly the result Of my experiment; |;
to have entered fully into all the minutia would
have occupied volume, but if this short. ar
ticle shall turn the attention of planters to the
following up Of this marvellous progress, my
purpose will have been ANSWERED"