The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1908-03-31
The Great Crop of the South. :
The Different Varieties Of Cotton and the Characteristics
OF Each SortMethods of Cultivation and Preparation
For Market---By M. Earl Carr, WaShin9ton.

extent When well up ii is cultivated
In much the same manner as the
Northern farmer cultivates his corn.
and is chopped out"--that is. the
plants are thinned out by chopping
some OF them with a sharp hoe, leav-
ing them about three to six inches
apart in the row. The field Is then
cultivated until the plants shade the
ground and then Laid by" and moth
ing is done to it until picking time.
The planting time varies to some ex-
tent with the locality and climate.
but is, as a rule, in March and April
The first blossoms appear the last of
May and In June, aud as they wither
and fall off the forms, or young bolls.
grow rapidly. They are somewhat
angular in shape, and the enveloping
lear forms sort of tuft or ruffle at
the base. AS the boil grows it be-
comes more nearly round, although
1t never becomes spherical. 1t is in
these bolls that the valuable part of
the cotton plant forms, the lint, or
hbre, and the seeds. Each boil con-
tains usually five separate compart-
ments, or segments, and when it
opens there are five little punches of
cotton fibre.
Along about the latter part of Au-
gust the first bolls to set begin To
ripen, and the picking season begins.
In ripening the bolls turn brown, dry
up and crack open, showing a soft.
white, downy mass of lint in which
are hidden the seeds. When released
by the opening of the boil the lint
swells out, making a bunch several
times as large as the original boil.
This opening of the boil and exposing
the lint to the air and sunshine serves
TO dry 1t. In picking, the workers.
VINO are mostly negroes, carry a
gunny sack hung over the shoulders
IN front OF them SO that its mouth
Is open. They pass along on each
side OF the rows and pluck out the
fuzzy lint, using both hands. and
place 1t in the sack. When the sacks
contain from twenty-five to fifty
pounds they are emptied into large
splint baskets, and when a wagon
load Is obtained it is hauled to the
gin TO be ginned and baled. Several
plcklngs are always necessary. as
the bolls continue to set for some
tlme after the first blossoms appear.
and consequently do not all ripen at
the same time. IL usually lasts until
late in the fall or until some time af-
ter the first frost All green hollis
are killed by the frost, and unless
nearly mature are completely spoiled.
The Sea Island or long staple va
rlety, sometimes called BLACK seed -
is botanically known as Gossypium
Darbadense. 1t was found growing
In the West Indies by Columbus as
wild perennial. 1t was first grown
IN the United States on st. Simon's
Island, off the coast of Georgia i'm
lfS, the seed coming from either
the Bahama or the Barbados islands.
Two years later it's production was
begun on the sea islands of South
carolina, where it has since reached
its highest development The pro-
duction of these islands controls the
market and furnishes seed for the
whole sea island cotton district. The
region in which this variety can he
grown is very much restricted even
within the cotton belt itself. ONLY a
small portion of Southern South Caro-
Ina, Southeast Georgia and Northern
Florida is suited in climate, elevation
and soils to it's production. For the
successful growing of the Sea Island
cotton a warm, humid climate and an
especially long season are necessary.
1t cannot be grown at an elevation
very FAR above sea level, probably on
account OF less degree of humidity
and slightly lower temperature. II
cannot be grown further north than
charleston on account of the season
being slightly shorter. In Florida the
yields secured in the Atlantic Coast
counties are best, with the Gulf
Coast counties second and the inland
counties, having a greater elevation. a
bad third, the yield being less than
half the average for the coast coun-
ties. Experience goes to show that
its cultivation is not successful at an
elevation greater than about 200 feet
above sea level, that 1t cannot be
grown north of the latitude of Char
lesion, and that IL is not successful
In the semi-tropical portion of Flor
ida, although It is there perennial.
It's culture is also restricted Ia
soils of certain character, thus max
ing it necessary for the planter to
know the peculiarities of the region
before he attempts its cultivation. In
| all sections, where other conditions
are favorable, IL does best on light
deep, sandy soil. If the surface of the
soil is light sandy loan for a depth
| OF eighteen to twcnty-four inches and
| eighteen to twenty-four inches and
1t and the subsoil arc yellow in color
1t can be considered favorable sol
| for this variety of cotton. but If the
heavy subsoil is less than eighteen
| inches below the surface IL cannot
be expected to produce good yields. II
| does not do well on soils having q
subsoil OF red color, though such soils
| produce decidedly better yields OF tho
| short staple than the soils having the
| yellow subsOils In the Sea Island
/ district, I'm the vicinity OF Charleston
| the soil on which the best quality &.
produced IS a fine sand, light brown
/ or ycllowish I'm color, TO a depth oil
about twelve inches. The surface sol
is usually loose and incohereut, but
becomes somewhat loamy upon Guilt
walton. The subsoii to more thar
thirty-six inches is a pale yellow tC
| brfpht orange mr. qorno ffu,oo orov