Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1871-08-04
Discovery in Cotton Culture.

The Demopolis (Alabama) Exponent, tells
tho following almost incredible story about
the growth of a cotton tree, protected from
the frost, which we republish for what it is
worth, but do not wish to be understood as
vouching for the vcracity of the writer
10 1867 planter Of this county. living
some IL miles from this city, conceived of the
idea that the cotton pnut properly cared for
could be made to bear for more than one year.
BE believed that the vitality OF the plant was
destroyed by frost only. The result of his
experience, which we will give in his own
words. is of unspcakable Importance to the
material interests of the cotton growing coun,
try, placing US above and beyond the nccessi
ties and annoyanccs Of our present system of
labor.
His account Of his success which is far be-
yond' MS most sanguinc expectations, is large
ly vouched for, and is MS follows:
III lost large amount of money in 1866,
the year succeeding the surrender, in my far
ming operations,and despnircd, almost, of the
future of the cotton section in the many
slecpless, nights passed thinking over my
own affairs aud what the future had in store
for myself aud ncighbors, whose dependence
Tor existence rested solely upon agricultural
productions, of which the culture of cotton
is the chicfest, tho main stay. in fact. of the
cotton States, the foundation on which was
built all they enjoyed Of prosperity in manu-
facturing, in banking, in merchandising, in
oil that went to make up the sum of their
varied industries, threatened. AS those inter
ests seemed to be, about to suffer extinction
by system of labor that made the cost nf
production of the cotton crop greater than
the value of the article produced. BY in
spiration, forsit could have been nothing else,
it occurred to me that could the annual kill
ing of the plant by frost be prevented the
plant might become trec-a fruitful, ever.
bearing tree.
"Success has succeeded my most sanguinc
expectations. my widest dreams will tell
you exactly how proceeded and describe the
result. In the spring of 1867 | selected
spot of ground, about 10 feet square. plan.
ted IN the centre n cotton seed, tended it
carefully; in September built about it u
pen some eight feet square and covered it
with glass, kept a THERMOMETERS in it, and by
the aid of small stove, kept life and gro,cih
IN the plant until May of 1868. at which
time removed the pen. During the sum
mer or 'GS my plant grew till it became n
small tree. In the fall of the year nickea
8OO 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 moved ny pen in the
spring of '69 That year 1 picked from
what was then tree, cotton that made
bale Of 476 pounds The tree had now grown
80 large that deemcd it safe from frost, and
in the winters Of 50 and 10 | left it unpro
eected. In the spring Of TO 1t bloomed ut
the same time with the peach tree, and in
the fall made from it 1888 pounds of lint
cotton. at this writing the tree il in full
bloom. and promises at least three bales of
cotton and is the wonder of all who SEQ it.
ut is some twenty five feet in height, meas
ures at the but 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 question
nothing will. have endeavored to describe
suocinctly tho result of my experiment; to
have entered fully into all the minutia would
have occupied a volume, but it this short ar.
tlole sLall turn tho attention Of planters to
the following up Of this marvellous progress.
my purpose will have been answered"
THE SuBso1LER. There is no doubt bnt
~ 'sS HSs S'""o ~ 'H'to Iics uHN EHlpE5 Wet
and dry-can be made productive by the use
of the cub soil plow. There arc many places
where tho character Of the soil is such, that
very deep powing with the ordinary plow
brings up dirt that ought not to como to the
shrface in fact, thcre arc few localities the
soil OF which is not best on the surface, d&ssl
/. oh. uld not bo turned down deep, and; tho un.
der clay brought above. But there is no
land that cannot be made productive by the
use Of the subsoiler which gouecs up and
lbosens tho dirt a foot or moro below the sur
sfsee.. Double blowing with one plow in the
track, Of the other, brings up the dirt FROM
the bottom. and casts it on the top, leaving /"
deep furrow for tho front plow on the next
round to turn the top soil into. Farmers of
every section may set IL down as dcnfonstra
ted,faot, a selfevident proposition, if wo may
use tha language, that soils If every charac
Stes will bs greatly benefited for the spring
crops, By being stirred down deep as it is
possible 10. 90 at the time Of preparine for
spIanting. If there Is too mnch rain on tho
sypupglorop, the loose earth will let itthrough
The sooDer; and il there is q, drouth, the
moisture will more readily come to the roots
ofathe Drop than il the ground was hard u