The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-06-17
LIE DUc,s DISCOVERY.


IIr :
"A discovery destined, In the opinion
ofiGen. Ie Due, 20 be OF more value to
tho South than anything that has been
previously doEe by che Agricultural De.
partulept, has been made in relation to
the planting of cotton. A quessioh tag.
Ing srlsen rs TO the situation Of The Gil
cells in cotton seed, the matter was 70.
fe-Tod TO the mlcrosc0pist, Prof. Thomas
ylor. he found o series Of oil cells
near the outer surface, and another row
immediately surrounding the chit of GER
minating point eyideucing tho complete
protection which. the latter received.
This fact led Prof Taylor to experiment,
with o view 20 ascertaiHing the amount
of resistance offered to tho attacks OF
agente generally supposed 70 DO os de.
etructiye nature 10 ell organic life. In
trying sllphugic acid, which had been
previously ,1sed la diluted form % az.
giutinate the cotton a6hefing 10 the
seeda, 90 2s TO facilitate the expression OF
the oil, he found that acid of, the com.
mercial strength completely removed
this without visibly effecting Che otter
brown shell. TO Sest the actual effect on
the terminating property, he handed
soEiie of the eeed thus treated and after
wards washed to Mr.. Saunders. Who
planted 1t. To The surprise OF every
one except Mf. Taylor, who had foreseen
tkis result If the germ had not been de-
gtrcyed, the seed came up, at least Ave
days earlier than that In its snataFal state.
To ascertain whether this might not be
owing to tho soaking the seed received,
some was kept f9r several months and
then planted at the eBtne tinie with seed
OF the same crop unprepared. The came
results followed, showing the action, oi
the acid In removing the adheFsHs cotton
to have been the sapne as performed by
nature, viz the conversion of the amyle-
iceous or starchy ceilulose into glucose.
Prof. Taylor,s theory as to the actiotil OF
the corrosive acid beiug arrested tempo-
yarilylon cantactw the ligneoua cellu.
lose of the shell, proved, to- have heen
correct. The advantage to planters In
having five or elk .iays Start can SCARCELY
be ovefeatimatad, whether availed of In
avoiding early frosts or raising carly ont-
ton, FOR which premiums are offered by
several cotton boards In tho South. But
tkss Is not said 10 be the principal hSIes
hs conferred by Che discovery. Hitherto
cotton planting has had to be done by
hand and tho seed sown broadcast, owing
to the adherent cotton preventing The
eeed being used In the plantsfs ios corn
aud other clean seed. Aftef preparation
the seed can bs used ia any planter, and
.ty the regularity Of growth resulting,
the subsequent cultivation greatly facili.
tated. The mode Of preparing the seed,
which it 10 understood will be- patented,
10 as followan The seed is placed Id ai,
earthen or glaps vessel, and ordinary sui,
phurice acid poured over &c. go TO COM
pietely cover It. It is then stirred until
the brown shell d left free from cotton.
The acid is poured off to be used again,
and the seed washed until all acidity dis.
appears from the water and dried. a
large quantity is 70 be thus prepared and
distributed athopS cotton planters FOR
next season. The acid, ,aafter It has be-
come saturated or exhausted, is tn be. ex-
pefiniented with to ascertain whether
the glucose cannot be recovered. Ex.
periniehts are also to be instituted with
view TO ase Sytain the ptacti6abiity 6l
the process ,,eaappiisas 70 seeds bio Il i u ..
termination, such "a that of the palm
which take three years to spront, i