The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-08


There has been so much said and writ
ten from time to time on the subject of
cotton planting that at first thought it
would seem that the question has been full
ly exhausted, but such is not by any means
the case, for as long as the plant is grown
the time will probably never come when
something new and really beneficial to
the cotton raiser will not be learned and
brought forward. The advance of inn
proved implements and methods of plant
ing and preparing the seed for such pur-
poses are so important that 1 beg to-day to
place before the readers of the Southern
Farmer a few plain facts drawn from OBJ
servation.
Cotton, to begin with, is one of our sun
plants, which requires warmth and mois-
ture to produce a profitable amount of
wood to develop the desired quantity of
fruit without which it is not profitable
to the producer. In the first place we
need a rich, friable soil, good drainage
and a most thorough preparation of the
seed bed in which we intend to plant.
Cotton land, or land in which cotton is
planted should be rotated year after year
in corn and pease to get the best results.
The land, when it is possible, should be
fall plowed, turning under any and all
peavines to disintegrate in the soil, when
one or more times. Preparatory to seed
ing and just before that time, if the sea-
son is open and time can be found for
doing so, it will be found highly import
ant to flush or rebed all cotton lands.
The seed bed should be carefully pre-
pared. not too high. but rather broad.
Such beds will produce the best results
when taken one year with another In
laying off the rows if in a rich and fer
sought for, we would lay them off fully
six feet apart, which are first a saving in
cost of cultivation and secondly and
equally important, secure room in which
the air and sunshine may penetrate and
feed the growing and maturing cotton
plants and fruit.
No doubt this will appear to many as
a new departure in cotton growing. To
those who have not planted in the wide
rows we have only to say, give the meth
cd a trial and be convinced of its advant-
ages in yield and profit.
When planting seed with the rows lald
six feet apart the young plarts should
be chopped out to stand from 16 to 20
inches apart in the row. AS they grow
up the tendency will be to spread to-
wards the center of the rows. Both the
body and the limbs of the plant will be
stronger and less liable to blow down in
case of wind and rain. With the wide
| row to permit the free circulation of air,
as well as of sunshine, the bolls will ma
| ture from the lowest to the highest, the
last of course, at times subject to frost.
If the land is properly cultivated, first
to corn and pease, to build up and en-
| rich the soil before it has been seeded to
| cotton. if properly treated in this man
! per- the wide rows will yield an average,
taken one year with another, of from w
to ,. or even more bales of lint cotton
to the acre planted, which when gath
| cred will present a better sample of lint
than is usually obtained from cotton when
grown in narrow or very crowded rows.
J. Cabot.
| We don't know that there is anything
very new in the idea of wide rows for
cotton even as wide as feet. On very
rch land feet is by no means too wide,
| especially if the very commendable prac-
| tice Of planting a fallow crop between
the rows, of some low growing plant such
! as peas or beans is observed. 1t will be
| a great help towards keeping up the fer
| tility of the soil. The next year the rows
! should be so changed that the cotton is
| grown in the pea or bean row of the pre-
| ceding year Thus alternating from year
to year the soil will become supplied free
| iy with vegetable matter.