Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-01-13

SAhyj ouu SonoOiuSuViy Va SiSoeOi VOL.
ue per pound than most of the cotton
now now raised in America. A patch
visited by Mr.. Phenis contained 13
square feet, more than one-third of an
acre. He was informed that from
this patch there had been picked some
800 pounds of seed cotton, and there
were top bolls enough matured to in
crease this yield to possibly 1000
pounds, which would be equal to
from 2,40O to 5000 pounds of seed
cotton to the acre. This yield is the
more extraordinary when it is remem-
bered that this has been year of un-
usual and blighting drought. 1t is
said that no commercial fertilizers were
used; that the site was selected be-
cause of the poor quality of the soil,
and that the crop was raised without
irrigation, the intention having been to
give the severest test to the new va
riety. Grsnting these conditions, the
result is scarcely less than marvellous.
The stalks will average six feet in
height, while ordinary cotton on farms
Immediately adjoining, and with soil
of apparently similar character, is this
year only one to two feet high. The
open and matured bolls on about 100
of the stalks were counted. One stalk
had fifty-three; a great many had 20,
and very few had less than five. The
average was about 10 bolls to the stalk.
The habit of the plant is said to be
that when the boil natures the leaf
drops off, so that there are never more
than three or four leaves at time on
the stalk, and they are at the top, an
advantage in picking the cotton, as
we'll as a safeguard against disaster
should the plant be attacked by the
army worm.
The plants can be set 80 close that
&c, $50 plants to the acre are regarded
as practicable possibility, as against
the usual number, 1O,92O. The seed
of the cotton is peculiar. 1t is small
or than that of ordinary cotton, so
that 1900 pounds of seed product is
calculated to make bale of the lint,
instead of the regular estimate of l.
900 pounds. A further difference is
that it terminates from the centre in
stead of from either end. The plant
has q romantic history. The story
told is that two years ago a soldier of
fortune stopped off at Atlanta and
tarried awhile. He made some friends,
among whom was local horticultur-
ist, to whom he showed a varied col
lection of curios, which he said he had
gathered in his travels. Among them
was a wonderful specimen of cotton.
He had cut it, he said, from 20-foot
stalk he found growing in front of
hut in a wild part of interior Africa,
near the Congo river, 700 miles from
the coast. The horticulturist raised
from the seed several stalks of from
9 to IA feet, some of which were
exhibited at the Atlanta exposition.
Eventually the traveller was sent back
to Africa for several bushels of seed.
He was gone four months. When he
returned, he reported that he found
the whole region where he secured the
first specimen devastated by forest
fire, and there were no traces left OF
either cotton or villagers. The Allan
ia gardener then selected the soundest
and best seed he had raised and plant
ed the patch which was subsequently
examined by Mr.. Phenis. 1t is pro-
posed to replant the entire stock OF
seed available, so that convincing
demonstrate may be pi|cs of the
merits of a cotton which may contain
the possibilities of boon to the south
of incalculable .value.-Chicago Rec
ord.