The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-03-01
WITHIN The COTTON BELT.
Tho Northern. Middle md Southern Soc
tions OF This Important Region.

Tho Northern. Middle and Southern Soc
lions OF This Important Region.
IL Is recognized fact among cotton
planters that where tho changes of tenn
perature are sudden and tho fall reaches
zero during every winter there is too
short period between frosts to en-
able the cotton plant to perfect its
growth and mature its fruit. Many eff
forts have been made to force the plant
to produce fiber in the northern portions
of Kentucky and the colder regions in
west and northwest Texas, but such eff
forts have proved failures. Although tho
conditions of soil were all right, Profess
OF p. II. Nell, in his report on the cot
ton plant to tho United States depart
ment of agriculture, divides tho cotton
belt of the United States into three dis
tinct portions-viz, northern, middle
and southern sections.
The lines separating these divisions
are irregular and will more nearly CO.
incide with the normal lines of mean
mlnima temperatures than with the
lines of latitude. III arranging the sta
tiOns under this classification Professor
Nell has been governed largely by the
mean minima temperatures recorded by
the respective observers, but to correctly
express the severity of the climate in
winter it is best also to consider the
lowest possible range of temperature.
With this Interpretation, therefore,
he has placed Atlanta, Little Rock
and Memphis in the northern division,
although the mean minima would war
rant placing them in the middle section.
W1,.at, u
ton is considered, however, it will be
noticed that the conditions of climate
and soil are amply propitious for all
demands of the plant in the country sur
rounding these three cities.
Those sections in Texas placed in the
northern division, that are situated far
south geographically. give greater de-
pressions of temperature than those in
the east not so far south. This is large
ly due no doubt to the greater altitude,
i'll some instances, of these western sta
tons and also because of the billiards.
that sweep across portions of Texas
each year. At the following stations,
where the minimum temperature goes
so low so frequently during the win
ter, there is very little, if any. cot
WI pldlllCu, anu III lilc
country, where the cultivation has been
attempted, lesults have been very dis
COMMUNICATIVE, Ell Paso, Fort Elliott
Fort Smith, Knoxville and Nashville
In the case of Nashville however, there
is section of country just south of the
city that produces very large yields of
cotton in favorable years 1t will thus
be noticed that, although some of the
stations occupy positions quite far north
local causes may SO modify the climatic
conditions as to permit the successful
cultivation of cotton in the immediate
neighborhoOd.
The months of February and March
are spent by the planters in preparing
the land for the planting of the seed,
and the season is very we'll adapted for
such work. The weather is never severe
enough to prevent outdoor work, and
the ground is never so hard frozen as to
impede the progress of the pillow. In the
lower half of the southern states the fall
of snow is very unusual, and even in
the more northern limits i remains only
few days at the most. 1t is possible,
therefore, for the farmers to work al
most continually during the winter
months. The lands are generally plowed
broadcast in the winter so that the rains
and the frosts may disintegrato tho soil
and render the ingredients availa BILE to
the demands of the plants. The plow-
ing usually begins about the 1st of Feb
ruary and continues until planting of
the seed in April or May, depending of
course upon the locality of the place.