The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-10-29

Uv r. 4. Bridgers in 1860.
... further South entertain the
that North Carolina cannot
cotton: his however, is a very
7- ..-take. If they viii examine
.. inject, they will find just as
fits Of sugar planting revealed
higher up the Mississippi
e~ -. has he high price of cotton
i.- district further North for its
-asse..gn.
Pr q fact beyond all controversy,
.....r.rs Of cotton often yield to the
. . bale Of 400 pounds, while six
...I bales to the hand is not an
cannon product, in the estimate Of
- eounting all who GO to the field.
~rr county of Edgecombe has IN
-aseI its crop In twenty years from
r-u tt 20, 600 bales; by a bale is
~g.r- 400 pounds as it stands ready
tr market, the most usual classifi-
.a,faa is midGling, while some grades
steiner and some lower. The coun-
,a- Of Pit, Martin, Halifax, Nash, Will
snn. WAYNE, Green, and Lenoir, and
a-tar- in the same time nave in
Creased their productions very much:
INIT not in so great a ratio as Edge
.mHa Many persons whose opinions
-r. entitled to high respect, think the
or., of EdgcCOmbe will be doubled at
M Instant day, which does not seem
fr~nrouable when 1t is estimated that
not ore-third of her arabic land Is in
Much Of North Carolina is we'll
a5aItai to its CIVILIZATIONS; all the
"aluv..I region that is not too wet
nor too sandy and much of the sec
ar.arr. making a district of about one
thfrd of the State.
# the county of Edgecombe, with
& territory of 700 square miles. yield
100000 bales, hat will one-third of
the state. containing about 1900
square miles, with like cultivation
Weld" 1t viii be about 100000 bales.
If the season should be favorable
during the remainder Of the year, the
cron of the Tar river country will ex-
coed 10000 bales; and if there should
be the same ratio of increase in the
next ten years as in the past ten, at
tie end of that time it will go con-
siderabIv beyond 100, 900. Should the
present remunerating prices continue
and the EdgecOmbe system of i'm
movements cultivation become of
general use in the cotton districts, the
crop Of North Carolina Will, at no re-
mote day. reach a half million bales.
The GOOD soils of the State, except the
loWIands and sWamps, have for the
most part been 50 much
that. without Improvement, they
WDUll tDiIGIy nave paul tILC CApCLoSo VI
cultivation. Unlike the crops of virgin
soils. after a few years, growing worse
AMI worse, we nay expect with each
coming new year, with like seasons, to
Increase the crop and improve the
land. until we not only restore but
often increase its natural productive
ness. We cultivate nearly all the soils
not containing an excess of sand, nor
TAO much moisture. River, creek, al
htaI bottoms, and swamps, all give a
good yield if properly drained; not
uy these, but the pine lands of clay
sab-soils, When properly prepared and
improved, will make good cotton; ana
IN many localities for a fey years give
a good crop without manuring.
These pine lands heretofore only
associated with tar, pitch, and tur-
pentine. give greater promise OF future
Increase of crop, under the proper sys-
tenn of Improvement and cultivation
than anv of the districts of India or
Africa hat have yet been tried.
Climates that will not admit OF
planting by the first week in May are
too short; they may occasionally give
good crops, but the chances are in
favor tina they may be cut short by
an early frost. Much of the earth has
sufficient warmth of weather and rich
ness Of coil, but is deficient in the
proper mixture OF rain and sunshine.
Excessive rains in winter or spring
particularly in the latter, unit the
land for planting, and usually pro
duces a bad stand. Continued drought
dwarfs the stalk. and excessive rains
give too much weed with a deficiency
Of buttons. If a propitious season
mas given the necessary stalk and
buttons, heavy rains or continuous
damp, and cloudy weather in the
blooming season, win injure the staple
both in quality and quantity.
The bloom getting wet the day it
opens, adheres to the young boil, some
times causing a partial decay. giving
q defective look of cotton, at other
times causing it to drop off; the latter
is most usual effect of the bloom con-
tinuing wet. Any excess of dry or wet
weather will cause the young bolls to
drop: the latter more than the ormer
Even if there are the bolls neces-
sary for a good crop, excessive rains
often roduc the bOll-WOrm rot, rust,
and other diseases that cut it short:
all these casualties passed the planter
ready TO realize his hopes OF a good
crop. sees his snow like fields swept
down with a rain storm. Drought is
often disastrous, but rain more so: the
one is more destructive on poor soils
while the latter is so on the rich moist
soils. After the maturity Of the stalk
the difference of growth in q dry or
Wet season is p~erceptlble; the alterna-
Na..#- ON Wei dIId u1S LII liz oAil
CT,p. can often be seen: the former
gives long joints and few, while he
latter gives short joints and many bolls
S.. long as there are alterations Of
Inag droughts and long rainy sea-
S.os in India and the newly explored
Regions Of Africa, the American plant
e. need entertain nc fears from their
'"mpetitiOn.
The cotton association of Europe
may annOuS e the discovery of new
F--lous TO rival the South; but until
i--E give a different description of dry
an. wet asopG they need not trouble
ut9"selvcs with an experiment to test
Da-.r cotton growing capacity, those
"a7 have experience On this subject,
ha.'" that at best their productions
must be inferior in quantity and quail
warm spring with light showers,
On <ammer with occasional rains to
".. the soil and an autumn with a
sky, are the essentials for cot
.' make a good crop with con
wet weather in or after the
."IG season is impossible. How
s"cceed in a dry weather CHM
PEE il is necessary to resort to
i-1. ! nave no accurate Informal
.Hi certainly much better than