The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-01-30

NOEt0&N, IhiSJk IDW AMI, -
Editors Dispatch: send you q copy OF
letter lust received from friend in Meek
leuburp county on the cultivation OF cotton,
which Won can publish II you desire.
withhold bis name. az do this without bis
knowledge. / think II the most intelligent
and Instructive | have seen. He Is good
authority. being one OF the most successful
farmers Of my acquaintance. Yours,
WILLIAM =. DCPUY.
Dear Friend,-Your favor Of the 9th In
slant TO hand. Ny experience Win co'ton
has been entirely satisfactory-in truth, mas
exceeded my expectations; but l 40 no'
think it advisable for farmers to give up To-
bacco entirely. The cotton interieres very
little with the tobacco crop, ana we pan.
all the land in tobacco we cln make reai'y
rich with domestic mauures. which tnink
IL all we should plant anyway, di'efsn!
Of crops being, In nv OPINION, niuch ,ne
safest plan. The cotton crop, IKE any
other. will require some experience before
Won can hope to obtain the best results;
hut IL you have the implements with when
il should be cultivated, and learn 10 use
item, think 1t Is the incest work ana
prettest crop that have eyer seen grown
on the farm.
ANY good upland will do for 1t Dut q
porous, gravelIy soil, think, Is best.
The Jun seems TO strike the root ana makes
IL open earlier, which is great c0nsidera-
ton with US, our seasons being rather snort
for II. I could mention farms IN your
neighboI hood admirably adapted TO IT,
though have seen fine crops raised upon
stiff clay soils. II will do better AFTER some
crop that requires clean cultiyation-corh
or tobacco for instance. When planted after
a weed or clover fallow II does not boil so
well. Select the most level land you can,
for it requires only surface cultivation,
and the land washes more than with any
other crop. Any land that will bring good
upland corn i think better than rich lots,
upon which 1t is inclined 10 produce TOO
much weed-the bolis are too much shaded
and will not open. Always use guano, ior
without il not more than half the fruit viii
open. Two hundred pounds is considered
a liberal application.
After your land has been well plouGhed
lay off your rows two and half feet apart
with a good plou2h-small mouIdboard-
throw two burrows Iogether, Il week OF more
before planting. III 1t rains on it, all the bet
ter. Drill your guano on the top OF this
last, and throw out the middle Of your rows
with same plough with large mouldboard,
thereby lapping the dirt on your guano;
then open with same small plough, not more
than two inches deep. straight and narrow
furrow, drop your seed-about TIL ep bush
els per acre-and cover lightly.
AS soon as up sufficiently TO ensure a
stand run your plough, with small wing,
bar side next the cotton, as close as posi-.
bic, following with the cotton hoes, chop.
ing and hewlDS two stalks in each hill ten
inches apart. Follow immediately behind
the hoes with The cotton.piough, with small
moudboard and wing attached, putting
lust enough dirt TO the plant 10 support and
not cover 1t. We then consider the worst
and only tedious part done. As soon as it
begins TO get grassy, go over again With
the hoes aud pull the grass from around the
stalk (Dev6r put dirt to the plant with the
hoe, the plough will do this, follow with
cotton plough again with the second wing
on; grass it once more with hoes, and fol-
low with plough again with large mould
board and wing attached. Go over with
your cotton-pough as often as the land IL
grassy or hard; keep light and clean until
August 10th, when the crop is made. The
work is all light and rapid. An expert
band en- chop or grass two acres per day.
| The picking Is usually done by women and
children, who arc glad TO get the employ
ment, 100 pounds per dry being about The
average, for which we pay thiriy-fve cents.
You will, of course, have to buy gin md
press, which will cost you 1925. A forty
saw gin is large enough; 1t will Gin about
eight bales per day. Get condenser with
It, 1t costs S25; it saves labor and trouble.
The gins here charge one fifteenth for GIN
ming and baling. You need not fear to in
| vest i'm a GIN for the cottOn-feyer il very
contagious. Ny fear is that the farmers
here will raise no other crop in few years.
The time for planting is from April 18th to
May l0th-the earlier in that time the bet
ter. Never plant or work the crop when
the ground is wet. With average season
and fair cultivation you can count on one
half bale per acre-say 675 pounds seed
cotton or 90 pounds lint. You can get
seed here il you order at once, but they VIII
soon be used up for manure. They make
| the best known.