The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-04-12

Thee Richmond ana OanVlne haIlroau
Company issued circular on the 20th
of February, asking sundry questions
about the cultivation of the cotton crop
in the country in Virginia along the line
of the Richmond and Danville railroad
The following report of its agent gives
the drift of the responses made to that
circular;
RICHMOND, VA, March Is, 1882.
COL T. M.. r. Talcott, General Manager,
Richmond and DdnvilLe Railroad
Dear Sir,-The cotton circular of the
18th of February, issued from your Of
fee, and sent, as far as they were known,
to all who planted cotton last year in the
counties in Virginia contiguous and trib-
utary to the line of the Richmond and
Danville Railroad, has elected general
response. After careful review of the
replies 1 present the following synopsis
for your information-to wit:
The general character of land planted
was light "thin uplands," such as would
not produce tobacco without heavy
manuring and but poor crops of grain.
All the experiments go to show that this
character of land is better ADAPTED to
cotton-culture than rich alluvions or
heavier soils. }a
Those who fertilized at all used
chemicals of some kind composted or
mixed with farm manures, or farm
manures alone but few, comparatively,
tried some fertilizer of we'll known and
approved brand. A careful analysis of
the reports in this respect gives about
these results-namelv: Those who used
chemicals with home manures say their
crops Of cotton were affected by the
severe drought, and that there was much
dropping of top blooms, which greatly
diminished the yield; those who used
farm manures alone reports similar re-
suits. In fact, the free use of chemicals
and farm manures appeared to be at
tended with serious disadvantage. Those
who used standard fertilizers, or planted
good gray soils without manure, say their
cotton crop withstood the drought much
better, comparatively, than tobacco and
other crops and report no falling off OF
top blooms.
The yield of seed cotton is variously
reported from say $50 to 1000 pounds
per acre. The lightest yield was from
lands tertilized with chemicals composted
with farm manures, or farm manures
alone; the heaviest from fertilization
with some standard preparation, or where
planting was made on light gray upland
in "good heart without manure. The
aggregate of results clearly demonstrates
that IN fair crop years, with reasonable
cultivation and fertilization with the best
brands of manipulated fertilizers, a WELD
OF 25O pounds of lint cotton, or half a
bale to the acre, can readily be accom-
phshed for an average crop.
The date of planting is variously re-
ported, running from the last of April to
the first of June. Those who planted
early and gave their crops fair fertiliza-
ton and cultivation, report from nine
tenths to all the bolls opened before a
killing frost; of the later paintings. three
fourths or less. Frost generally occurred
about the same date, October 5th. which
was earlier by some two or more weeks
than Is usual in the tobacco regions 1t
IS also generally observed that a LIGHT
frost, enc Indeed that would materially
damage a tobacco crop, failed to mate
rally affect the cotton plant. The re-
= ANAN"UO, CdhS LuSlT general DRIFT
that cotton should be planted as early in
April as the ground can be gotten in
condition to receive the seed.
There is general decided disposition
amongst the producers of dark tobacco
to increase the culture of cotton. There
ls not half seed enough to supply the de-
mand. This is in great part owing to
the fact that in the absence of Gins the
cotton was shipped and sold in the seed
Much qualification is expressed at the in
tention of the Company to furnish seed
to supply the deficiency.
To recapitulate, both the soil al d
climate Of the dark tobacco region q !
well adapted to the culture of cotton
The experience of those who have planted
for the last two seasons shows that by
getting the seed in early, with proper
selection Of land, fair cultivation. and the
use OF such standard fertilizers as are
universally adopted in the cotton States
OF North Carolina, South Carolina, and
Georgia, the crop will not only mature
before the time killing frost is usually
anticipated, but will give an average
yield per acre equal to what is produced
In those States. The disposition is not
to abandon wholly the production of to.
bacco, but to make cotton an auxiliary
crop, to raise the standard of tobacco by
coi1lhning its planting to the heavy rich