The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1888-04-27
A Revolution in Cotton Planting.
From Franklin Times.

From Franklin Times
A surprising revolution in the present
method OF planting the great money crop
or the South seems to be one of the Ger
talntles OF the near future. a consider
able advance was made IN this direction
when Cotton Planters" came into general
use. These all SOW the seed, and any
other way of planting has seemed imprac-
ticable. Every method of planting now
known and practiced makes "chopplng
out" abs lutely necessary. And so impos-
sible has it appeared to obviate this neces-
slty that our farmers will be slow to be
lleve that there is a better way, and that
chopplng out will probably soon be a thing
OF the past. 1t has been known till now
only to few that two inventions, both of
them by Franklin county men, have been
perfected, which it is confidently believed
will, when taken together, DO away with
all necessity for chopping out and at the
same time dispense with mus use of hoes
in the cultivation of this crop. AS these
two inventions are dependent the one upon
the other IN the accomplishment of this
result, the writer has though, that as he Is
one of the few who has had some oppor-
tunlty of knowing something about both
of these, he would give the readers of the
Times some description of each of them.
The first is coordination Planter and
Fertilizing Distributor" ru inning off the
rows, sowing fertilizer and dropping seed
all at once. 1t is also adju ,ted as a corn
and pea planter, dropping in hills in de
sired quantities. Bear in Il ind that this
planter can be adjusted so to plant III
hills only few inches apart, or as far
apart as corn Is planted.
The other invention is a process of de
corticating cotton seed chemically, and at
small cost, so that every ,estige of lint
that adheres to them as they come from
! the gins is removed, and the hulls are left
as smooth as, and looking very much like
black peas. Instead of being injured by
this process the seed are benefited by it,
and their termination SO much advanced
| that they will come up in about two-thirds
the time usually required
AS we plant now it is always about 8
weeks (21 days from the time Of sowing
| till the cotton is all up so as to Justify
choppinS out without the risk of having to
chop it over a second time. Combining
these two inventions it Is practicable for
us to plant in freshly made rows these
prepared seed, using this planter to drop
| them III hills 3, 9 or 10 inches apart, two
or three seed in a hill Cwo will be better
| than three) and to have them mp in a few
days, so as to begin cultivating them with
sweeps while the beds are yet fresh and
before grass has had time to get started
No chOpping out will be required and the
first siding will be instead that Of bar
ring Off, which would otherwise be neces-
sary as preparation for chOpping out.
In favorable season the after cultivation
might be done almost altogether by plows
The writer knows that to many all this
will seem merely chimerical, and at best
only theoretical, but having seen these
| prepared seed carefully tested last spring,
and the cotton growing from them last
year, and having been credibly Informed
Of the adaptabiity of this combination
planter for planting them in hills, he be-
leves that though it may seem as imprac-
ticable as the inventien of IA cotton gin
before whitney, or as absurd as Howe !!
brethren of the tailor craft believed the
idea to be Of utilizing Sewing Machine,
still this is but another step III the Won
derful progress OF this progressive age.
Fortunately one man has obtained con-
troll OF both these pending patents, and it
is understood will soon put them before
the public and on sale