The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1894-03-24
FARMER AND PLANTER.
cuLTunE or COTTON.


CULTuNE or COTTON.
xAe Cottos 1lArt 81 To-Day Rrsns Ia !
stance OF Evolatloo.
Probably = in no other industry OF
such magnitude is there SO wide .
chasm between its different votaries az
between tho intelligent. advanced, |
progressive cotton planter, who has
availed himself of the teachings of the
cognate sciences and pursues his avo-
cation in tho full glow of their re-
Acctcd light, and his plodtling, super
stitious, untaught and unteacha BILE
ueighbor. The cotton plant possesses
wonderful elasticity of development.
1t promptly accommodates itself to the
conditions which surround it. 1t re.
spends in larger and better production
to intelligent cultivation and judicious
selection and feeding. It rctrogrades
in all useful qualities until it becomes
assimilatcd to its ignorant, thriftless
cultivatOr.
There is as much difference between
the improved cotton of to-day. on
which the number of hollis rivals that
of the leaves, and the ng-jointed,
struggling varieties grown fifty years
ago, there is between the rangy,
fat-sided Texas steer and the we'll
rounded, broad-bached Shorthorn. The
Improvement wrought in varieties of
cotton by judicious selection. high feed
ing and skillful cultivation has no
parallel in any other cultivated plant,
unless we find it in the potato or to-
mato. In breeding cattle we rely up
on the Divine promise that like shall
bcget like and to insure progress,
''breed from the best" The same
principles and practive have resulted
in the establishment of such prolific
varieties as the Peerless and others,
which present a most striking contrast
with the old ''Peelcr'' variety
~f s4H>
from the seed annually may be rapidly
| changed by selecting the best products
from plants approximatjng the type
| desired. Auxiliary to this has been
planting at such distance as will give
| room for normal development. In con-
| junction with these two other potent
| factors have operated, viz: Perfecting
the physical condition of the soil by
thorough pu;vcrization and the accu-
mutation of humus. and thereby in
creasing its power of a describing and re-
tanning moisture. The needs of the
| plant as we'll as those of the soil have
! also been carefully studied. and the
! food necessary to produce the maxi
mum development Of plant and fruit
! supplied. All of the conditions sur
rounding tho plant, physical as well as
! chemical, have Thus been rendered
| favora bic for its most perfect develop
| mcnt. Nariat ions resulting from such
/ favorable environments have been
| closely observed and utilized in cstab-
! fishing the type desired.
These agencies resulted in improve
| nlent in the form and productivcnesS
! of the plant. but have only partially
/ effected the fiber After csta blishinR
a variety of sufficiently prolific ha bits
in the upland short staple species
| Glossy plum herbaccum), the next step
| was TO improve the tint by h ybridizing
this with the long staple, sea island
| &C.. Barbadcnsc.) This has resulted in
! material improvement i'll .',c length
and finencss of staple at the cost of a
small reduction IL, productiveness. In
| illustration of the improvement in the
| length OF fiber we have only to com
pare the wv. 4. Cook variety, recent
| ly established. with the ''Dixon." va
| ricty OF forty years standing. The inn
provcmcnts have effected vastly in
| creased yield in the short staple varie-
tics. and corresponding enhancement
/ in the value of the lint of the Ion q
staple upland.
| There has been n corresponding adj
vance in the methods of cultivation, as
well as in the implements used. The
| extent of these improvements becomes
obvious by compa ring the old scooter
| stock. made on the plantation will
| ha tchct and drav wing knife. having Il
sfinElc nailed to the beam to prevent
/ covering the cotton while "sidin.:' or
t'barring" it: and the most improved
] al JuStaDle IRON Ceam STOCK with the
| Tcrrill hccl-scrarc attached. Under
| the old system the roots of the plants
| were SO laccratcd by the deep cultiva-
ton as to seriously check produc-
ton. even experienced cultivators con-
| tending that the lateral roots of the
plant did not exceed one foot in length.
| Yet fully developed plants show the
| roots nine feet in length. justify
| ing the modern system of IL;
| and shallow cultivation, which
| saves Ia Dor and increases produc-
| ton 10 to 20 per cent. over the old sys-
| tenn of deep cu1tiva ton. which involved
| a mutilation of tho roots. The use of
| wide heel scrapes instead of the
scooter. the solid sweep and turn pillow
has not only Increased the yield per
l acre, stated, but has diminished the
cost of cultivation by reducing the
| number Of burrows required to make
the crop, and almost entirely dispcns-
| ing with hoe work.
| The possibilities Of cotton produc-
ton have been and will ontinuc to be
limited by the failure thus far to sue
ccssfully ''chop'' and pick by ma
chincry. chopper and cultivator has
been invented, which docs excellent
work upon smooth, level lands, but is
too costly and complicated to come in to
| general use. The cotton harvester. en-
hibitcd last fall, gathers cotton Ia piC-
| ly under conditions specially favora bic