The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1894-03-08
FARMER AND PLANTER.
CULTURE OF COTTON.
The Cotton Plant of To-Day a Fine Ii
stance of Evolution.

chasm between it's different votaries as
between the intelligent, advanced,
progressive cotton planter, who has
availed himself of the teachings of the
cognate sciences and pursues his avo-
cation in the full glow of their re-
fected light, and his plodding, super
stitious, untaught and unteachable
neighbor 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 retrogrades
in all useful qualities until it becomes
assimilated 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 long-jointed,
struggling varieties grown fifty years
ago, as there is between the rangy,
t1at-sided Texas steer and the we'll
rounded, broad-backed 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
beget 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 ''Peeler" variety.
The type of plants which reproduce
from the seed annually may be rapidly
changed by selecting the best products
from plants approximating 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 pulverization and the accu-
mutation of humus, and thereby in
creasing its power of absorbing and re-
tanning moisture. The needs of the
plant as well 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 the plant, physical as well as
chemical, have thus been rendered
favorable for its most perfect develop
ment. Variations resulting from such
favorable environments have been
closely observed and utilized in estab-
fishing the type desired.
These agencies resulted in improve
ment in the form and productiveness
of the plant, but have only partially
effected the fiber. After establishing
a variety of sufficiently prolific habits
in the upland short staple species
(Gossyplum herbaceum), the next step
was to improve the tint by by bridizing
this with the long staple, or sea island
e. Barbadense.) This has resulted in
material Improvement in the length
and fineness of staple at the cost OF a
small reduction in productiveness. In
illustration of the improvement in the
length of fiber we have only to com
pare the ''W. A. Cook variety, recent
~
riety of forty years standing. The i'm
provements have effected vastly in
creased yield in the short staple varie-
ties, and corresponding enhancement
in the value of the lint of the long
staple upland.
There has been corresponding adj
vance in the methods of cultivation, as
well as in the implements used The
extent of these improvements becomes
obvious by comparing the old scooter
stock, made on the plantation with
Ratchet and drawing knife, having a
single nailed to the beam to prevent
covering the cotton while Siding or
barring it; and the most improved
adjustable iron beam stock with the
Terrill heel-scrape attached. Under
the old system the roots of the plants
were SO lacerated by the deep cultiva-
ton so 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 fiat
and shallow cultivation, which
saves labor and increases produc-
ton 10 to 20 per cent. over the old sys.
tenn of deep cultivation, which involved
a mutilation of the roots. The use OF
wide heel scrapes instead of the
scooter, the solid sweep and turn pillow
has not only increased the yield pei
acre, as stated, but has diminished the
cost of cultivation by reducing the
number of burrows required to make
the crop, and almost entirely dispens
ing with hoe work.
The possibilities of cotton produc
ton have been and will continue to be
limited by the failure thus far to sue
cessfully ''chop'' and "pick" by ma
chinery. A chopper and cultivator ha,
been invented, which does excellent
work upon smooth, level lands, but is
too costly and complicated to come into
general use. The cotton harvester, ex
hibited last fall, gathers cotton rapid
ly under conditions specially favorable
for it's operation, but there are practi
cal and insurmountabled difficulties vet