The Colfax chronicle. (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1876-1877, 1877-07-21
81 llsls2%'f
EHS.S<s1ssSSnsi1
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
Lyman on Cotton, Again.

says the New Orleans Home Jour
nal, from Lyman's book on cottor
culture:
Horses are better for use on the
cotton farms than mules, as q gen.
eral rule, on account of their great
or freedom of movement, though
they are not so apt to endure Sc
well as mules, especially in hot
weather.
We should work about one mule
to every ten acres in cotton. One
hand is expected to go with each
mule, though good hand may do
more than manage ten acres in
cotton-he may also manage five
acres in corn. It may become nee
essary to employ some extra help
in the picking season.
Women, as a rule, make better
cotton pickers than men. A tall
person does not work to advantage
as cotton picker-about five feet
six is the most favorable height.
One of the best drinks that can
be given to the cotton laborer is
buttermilk. The curd which it
contains is nourishing, while the
acid is cooling.
Cotton culture must be perform
ed rapidly. 1t is a business at
which one must not think of lin
gering; while we are bestowing
abundant care upon one side of
the field the other side may be
suffering q setback, from which it
will never entirely recover. Corn
may need attention, but it will
bear neglect better than cotton.
Ii either crop is to be neglected at
any time it is better to neglect the
corn.
By the latter part of May, the
stirring farmer, with all things ia
vorable, has been twice over his
cotton, and is thinning his plants
out to q permanent stand. OF
course this means for the latitude
OF Louisiana, where Mr.. Lyman
lived when he wrote his book. The
rest OF the culture is comparative
ly easy. The pillow must continue
to run until all the middles are
broken out; but here it may be re-
marked, that the cultivation will
gary with the character of the sea- !
son, and the character of the soil. |
In a summer blessed with the usu- |
al rainfall the blowing goes stead |
lily on, the dirt thrown no from the |
middles to the beds. If, however, |
the rain is excessive, 30 as to form
q crust around the roots, it is adj |
ylsable to run q light pillow near ]
the stand so as to break the crust
and permit the sun and air to pen
citrate to the roots. If, on the
other hand, the season be extreme
ly dry, it is best to put larger
pillow in the middles and throw nm
y ridge of dirt that will to some
''rotecs the roots as a
The tendency of blowing should
be constantly towards the ridge.
and never away from it.
After the middles are all brokan
out the sweep is the only plow
that VII be needed. Some plan
ters are beginning to use the ordi-
nary cultivators-on light lands
they answer the purpose very we'll
After the second working. the ,
hoe may, to great extent, be dis
pensed with. But the pillow must | |
not be stopped, weeds or no weeds. I
Through June and July the plants 1
must be pushed to their utmost !
capacity, and nothing pushes them
20 efectually as q constant stirring
Of the soil.
When the plants have grown 80
arge % to begin interlockine
ACROSS the middles, the pillow can
10 longer be of much benefit The
rue course is to push the growth
% rapidly as possible until the
ranches interlock, and then stop, Z
citing nature finish the work. '
So soon as you can look down f
!etween the rows of cotton and n
- half . dozen open bolls, start
nfAe pickers. They will get more I
ban one would suppose. From :
nis time on keep the pickers 60 !
ng. !,
Let the field be divided up by "
snes or roads, so that the picker o
nil never need to carry much s.
'eight in his picking bag. 1t is @
etter TO have the hands keep e.
1