The cotton planter's manual : being a compilation of facts from the best authorities on the culture of cotton; its natural history, chemical analysis, trade, and consumption; and embracing a history of cotton and the cotton gin

Front matter

THE

BEING A

COMPILATION OF FACTS

Preface

This book Is a compilation. It makes no pretensions whatever to originality. All compilations must, from the very nature of things, he imperfect ; therefore this book is imperfect. One of two plans I Lad to adopt, either to write an entirely original work, or compile one from the writings of others. Had I adopted the former plan, I might, it is true, ' hiwe produced a more compact work, a more systematic , reatise, in a more uniform style ; but it is a question whether would have made so valuable a volume as the one I present you. What might have been gained in the graces of composition, or the system of a well-digested treatise, might have been lost in my want of experience in all the departments I have presented you, to make a proper volume. It is quite easy to fill a given number of pages, but to make those pages useful and practical, is quite another thing. I thought it best, therefore, because it would be more useful to cotton planters, to compile the best authorities on the subject of which I treat. The difficulties of selecting from such a mass of writings as I have had before me, and of so arranging the selections when made, as to form of them a compact volume, will be appreciated by every one — especially by those who have had experience in compiling ; and yet I must be permitted to say

IV PREFACE.

that I think I have so far succeeded in the task I undertook, as to have given you all the most important knowledge which has been arrived at, with reference to the culture, consumption, and trade of one of the most important staples produced in the wide fields of agricultural labor. Not only is this an important book to the cotton planter, but to almost every class it will bear knowledge which it will be useful to have. The general reader will find in its pages many things with which he w^ould be pleased to be acquainted.

This book is divided into eight chapters, as follows :

I. The Ordinary Methods of Cotton Culture. II. Dr. N. B. Cloud's Improved System of Cotton Culture.

III. The Natural History of Cotton — Its Species

AND Varieties.

IV. Diseases and Insects Destructive of Growth

OF Cotton.

V. Analyses of the Cotton Plant, with Suggestions AS TO Manures, etc.

VI. The Consumption of Cotton — Uses of the various PARTS OF THE PlANT — ThE CoTTON TrADE

from 1S25 TO 1850. By Prof. McKay.

VII. The Cotton Trade from 1850 to 1855. VIII. History of Cotton and the Cotton Gin.

In a compilation such as this, it wall not be surprising if the different chapters sometimes run into each other; that is,

PREFACE. V

in some of the articles wMcli are published under one head, there may be found sotne things which would more appropriately fall under another head. The locality of each article, however, had to be determined by the complexion of the major part of that article.

It will be seen that I have given the article of Professor McKay, on the cotton trade, from the year 1825 to 1850, both inclusive. Then follows a document, compiled in the State Department of the United States, which takes up the cotton trade where Professor McKay left it, and brings it down to the year 1855.

The articles which go to make up this volume, I have compiled from various sources. I am under particular obligations to the Southern Cultivator^ Soil of tJie South, and American Cotton Planter — especially the first.

Errors have, in all probability, crept into this work, I invite communications from the pens of my brother planters, so that I may make a more complete treatise in a future edition of this book, or another volume.

I trust that the planting interest of the South will liberally patronize the publishers who have so liberally stepped forward to give them the first volume ever published on the culture of their all-important staple.

J. A. TUENEE.

Turnwold, Putnam Co., Ga., } Dec. 10, 1856. S

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Contents

CHAPTEE I.

THE ORDINARY METHODS OF COTTON CULTURE.

1. Chambers's Premium Essay on the Culture of Cotton, 2. Ex-Gov. Hammond's Eeport on Cotton, with a Note from the South- Western Farmer. 3. " Colo" to Hon. John C. Calhoun, on the Culture of Cotton. 4. Dr. M. W. Philips's Four Numbers on the Culture of Cotton. 5. "Wm. Summer's Eeport on Cotton. 6. Eeporfc of the Union (S. C.) Agricultural Society on Cotton, , - 11—52

CHAPTER I. SECTION I. — chambers' PREMIUM ESSAY

The following " Essay on the Treatment and Cultivation of Cotton," was read before the Southern Central Agricultural Association of Georgia, in 1852, by Col. James M. Chambers, then editor of the " Soil of the South,'' an agricultural journal, published in Columbus, Ga. It took the premium which was offered by the Association for the best Essay on the subject of which it treats. No more fitting article could be found with which to open this work. Col. Chambers is an intelligent man, and has always been an eminently practical and successful planter. Implicit confidence may be placed in his views.

The cotton plant is hard to be suited, in soil and in climate, and it rarely happens that such a combination of both is obtained, as to perfect the plant and mature the crop. The consequence is, that few spots are found, where these results are obtained with any degree of uniform success ; but these do exist, to just such an extent as to demonstrate most conclusively that soils in proper localities are to be found, exactly

suited to the successful culture of this delicate plant. With a knowledge of this fact, it becomes a matter of prime importance, to understand what these peculiarities of soil are, and where deficiencies exist, to search them out — and by artificial means, as far as it may be practicable, to correct or cure these defects of the soil in its natural state. We may not hope to remedy all the imperfections, yet it is the province of the cultivator to approximate as nearly as possible, and by preparation and culture, to endeavor to meet these peculiar wants of the plant. The first inquiry which presents itself is, to know what are the peculiarities of those soils which suit the growth and maturity of cotton. Experience is perhaps the safest and most reliable test, in the settlement of this question, and it is now pretty universally conceded, that our best cotton lands are those which are of deep and soft mold, a sort of medium between the sandy and spongy, and those soils which are hard and close — those which are penetrated by the warming rays of the sun, imbibing readily the stimulating gases of the atmosphere, and which allow the excess of rain water to settle so deep into the earth, as to lie at a harmless distance below the roots of the young plant. These are the properties of soil needful to the vigorous growth and early maturity of the cotton plant ; and the knowledge of this fact is of great, and perhaps I might add, indispensable importance, to its successful cultivation. For though we may not find, and indeed it is very improbable that we should often find, all these essentials in the selection of a farm, yet by the aid of the plough, the hoe, and the spade, and the incorporation of foreign substances, we may remedy many defects, and supply many of the peculiar demands of this plant. These are all preliminaries to be aiTanged and understood, and from this point, we set out to discuss the question, as to the best methods of cultivating the cotton crop. It may already have been inferred, but I am not willing to leave it to inference, but make the assertion, chambers' premium essay. 13

that in my opinion, tlie best and most important part of the work, in cotton making, consists in a judicious and proper preparation of the soil for planting. It is difficult to say in all cases, and in the varied condition in which lands are found, and the diversity of soils, what the process of preparation should be; but we may lay down general principles for our government, and results to be obtained, and leave the planters to the selection of the best means at command for their accomplishment. All lands for cotton, ought, before the crop is planted, to be broken deep, close and soft, and this to be done long enough before planting, to allo\7 the rains gently to settle them. V It is the most common, and perhaps the best plan, to prepare all lands intended for cotton, in beds made by the turning-plough ; and in flat and wet lands, sometimes an additional elevation ought to be given, by drawing up the beds with the hoe. I think, in this work, we have often followed too much the example of our neighbor, and have looked toa little to reason, in the indiscriminate bedding and high elevation of all lands. I am the advocate of deep soft beds, made by very thorough and close ploughing, but cannot consent to the necessity or benefit, of elevating much, lands which are warm and dry, and which are not subject to inundations from excessive rains. For the convenience of culture, I would have the young cotton stand on a slight elevation, but when the condition of the land did not require it, I would not give it more.

The distance to be given is the next inquiry to be considered. This is a very important object, and one upon Avhicli we are very dependent for success, and yet it must be varied very much by circumstances, some of which are beyond our knowledge or control. The general principle may be stated, and then our best judgment must guide us in its application.

When the crop is at maturity, the branches of the stalks ought slightly to interlock every way. We cannot, therefore, do better in planting, than make an estimate of the probable average size to which the weed will grow, dependent, of course upon the vicissitudes of the seasons. It would, therefore, be vain to attempt to be more specific in directions, which must be varied always to suit the varied character of the soil. This whole question then, is to be settled upon the principle alreadystated. The planting should be in drills, chiefly because of the difficulty of obtaining good stands in hills ; and I would add, for the information of those who may be without experience, that in the common medium lands of the country, these rows ought ordinarily to be about four feet apart, and the stalks in the drill should be thinned, so as to stand from fifteen to twenty inches from each other. The width of the rows and the distance in the drill, may be increased upon better lands, and in some cases of very thin lands, it may fall a little below the distances designated. I do not regard it a matter of indispensable importance, but should decidedly prefer that the rows should run in such direction as to give the plant the largest benefit of the sun from early morn to its setting. The cotton is decidedly a sun plant.

The Mode of Planting. — Here we have many plans, all setting up claims to some peculiar merit. With the preparation which I have indicated, it would hardly be necessary to stop to discuss the relative merits of these modes, or seek to do more for the accomplishment of our purpose, than to select some one, which we know to answer well. I therefore advise the use of some small and very narrow plough, for the opening furrow. This should be run in the centre of the bed, opening a straight furrow of uniform size and depth. In this the seed should be strewed by some careful hand, scattering them uniformly along the furrow, just thick enough to secure a good stand the whole length of the row. These I would cover with a board, made of some hard wood, an inch

-chambers' premium essay. 15

or an incli and a-half thick, about eight inches broad, and thirty inches long, beveled on the lower edge so as to make it sharp, slightly notched in the middle so as to straddle the row, with a hole bored in the centre one inch from the upper edge, and screwed on the foot of a common shovel or scooter plough stock. This wooden scraper and coverer, when drawn over the row, covers the seed nicely, leaving a slight elevation to prevent the settling of water, and dresses the whole surface of the bed neatly, for the space of fifteen inches on each side of the drill. Thus all clods or obstructions are removed, and a clean space is left wide enough for the passage of the plough in the first working between the young cotton and the rough land. This is an advantage of much importance with a crop so tender and small as cotton at this stage.

I have now conducted the operator, by a regular series, to the closing operation of planting the crop. And here I may be permitted to remark, that fine returns are sometimes obtained with much less preparation. These are results from the accidents of season, and not the due reward of well-directed culture ; a prize drawn from the lottery, against which there are many blanks ; a demonstration of the futility and uncertainty of all the best laid schemes of man. I pause before taking the next step.-.' In this age of improvement, with scrapers and cultivators, and all the endless variety of laborsaving ploughs, and amid advocates for hard-culture and softculture, and high-ways and by-ways, for making the crop, *' who shall resolve the doubt when all pretend to know ?'' and who shall decide, with such differences among doctors, who is right ? and who can pretend to say what number of acres to a hand will constitute a crop with such varied modes of culture ? I shall proceed upon the supposition, that a plentiful supply of provisions are to be made on the farm, and then set down as a good cotton crop, ten acres to the hand ;

under favorable circumstances, a little more may be cultivated, and on some lands less. Upon this basis, I proceed. As soon as the young- cotton is up to a good stand, and the third and fourth leaves begin to appear, the operation may commence. In lands which are smooth and soft, I incline to the opinion, that the hoes should precede the ploughs, chopping into bunches, passing very rapidly on, and let a careful ploughman follow, on each side of the drill, throwing a little light dirt into the spaces made by the hoe, and a little also about the roots of the cotton, covering and leaving covered, all small grass which may have sprung up. This is, indeed, the merit claimed for the operation, that after the hoes have passed, the ploughs come on and effectually cover and destroy the coat of young grass then up. This is known to practical planters, to be the crop of grass which escapes the hoe, and does mischief to the cotton. But when the land is so rough as to endanger the covering of the cotton with the plough, the operation must be reversed, and the hoes follow the ploughs. As all that is now proposed to be done is, a very rapid superficial working, reducing the crop to bunches, soon to pass over and return again, for a more careful operation. This should be done as soon as possible, as will be indicated by the necessities of the case. The grass and the weeds must be kept down, and the stand of cotton reduced. At this first working, unless in lands already very soft, I should advise the siding to be close, and to ,be done with some plough which would break and loosen the earth deep about the roots of the young plant.

Others may theorize as they choose, but with a plant sending out a tap root, upon which it so much relies, and striking so deep into the earth, as that of cotton, I shall insist upon its accommodation, by providing a soft, deep, mellow bed, into which these roots may easily penetrate. In the second working, the ploughs should in all cases go before the hoes, and in all lands at all tenacious or hard, let the work be deep and close again, and the middles of the row also be well broken np at this time. Now the hoes have an important and delicate duty to perform. The cotton is to be reduced nearly to a stand, though it is now rather early to be fully reduced. It is perhaps best to leave two stalks where one is intended to grow. The young stalk is very tender, and easily injured, by bruises and skins from rough and careless work, and it is much better to aid a little sometimes with the hand in thinning, than to spoil a good stand, by bruises from the hoc. The cut-worm and the louse are charged with many sins, which ought to be put down to the account of careless working, at this critical stage of the crop. The distance to be given I have before stated, and in the first operation of bunching, this ought to be looked to, and the spaces regulated accordingly. At this second passing over, the hoes must return a little soft dirt to the foot of. the stalk, leaving it clean and supported. If this work is well done, the weed will grow on, without any necessity for further attention for some twenty days or three weeks, when the plough should return again.

At this time, some plough should be used next the cotton, which will tumble the soft earth about the root, covering the small young grass, which may have sprung up since the last working, but the ploughing should be less close, and shallower, than at the former working. The hoes have much to do in the culture of this crop, and must be prepared to devote pretty much all their time to it, constantly passing over, and perfecting that which cannot be done with the ploughs, by thinning out surplus stalks, cleaning away remaining bunches of grass, stirring about the roots of the plant, and if need be, adding a little earth to them. It is difficult, in a treatise of this sort, to say how often, and in what manner, this crop shall always be worked, when the character of the seasons, and tlie difference in the land, must have necessarily so much to do in settling this question. The general rule must be, to keep the earth loose and well stirred ; the early workings to be deep and close ; and as the crop comes on and the fruit begins to appear, let these workings be less close, and shallower, keeping the soil soft and clean. It is of great importance to work this crop late, and it should not cease until the branches lock or the cotton begins to open. I do not consider that it is necessary to pile the earth in large quantities about the roots of the cotton, but think the tendency of all the workings should be, to increase the quantity. "^ The selection of seed is an interest not to be disregarded. "We have been humbugged a great deal by dealers and speculators in this article, yet we would greatly err to conclude that no improvement could be made. We should, however, save ourselves from this sort of imposition, and improve our own seed, by going into, the field and picking each year, from some of the best formed and best bearing stalks, and thus keep up the improvement. Great benefits may ofteri be derived, by changes of seed in the same neighborhood, from differences of soil, and occasional changes from a distant and different climate may be made to, great advantage.

The picking of cotton should commence just as soon as the hands can be at all profitably employed^: — say as soon as forty or fifty pounds to the hand can be gathered. It is of great importance, not only to the success of the work, but to the complexion and character of the staple, to keep well up, with this work, so that, as far as possible, it may be saved without exposure to rain. The embarrassments to picking when once behind, and a storm or heavy rain shall intervene, mingling it with the leaf, and tangling in the burr, are just as great, as to get behind it in the cultivation of the crop, when much additional labor will be required to accomplish the same object.

In the early pickings, when the seeds are green, some sunning is indispensably necessary ; but after more maturity and dryness, very little will be required. This must be determined very much by circumstances ; but dew or rain-water should always be removed, by drying upon the scaffold, before the cotton is bulked in the house. With proper care and attention, great improvement may be given to the complexion of the staple by a little heating in the bulk, extracting the oil from the seed, and imparting a slight cream to the color. This process, however, must be conducted with great caution and care, lest the heating proceed too far, and injury be done. It is easity checked, by stirring and exposure to, the air. It is an advantage to all cotton to lie in the bulk before ginning, and we doubtless often lose much of this benefit for want of sufficient house-room. Indeed, I think it a very common error, in our plantation arrangements, not to build houses for this special object. The cotton, when ginned, ought to be so dry, that the seed will crack when pressed between the teeth. It is often ginned wetter, but just as often, the cotton samples blue. A gin should be used which will neither cut nor nap the cotton, but send out the fibre straight and smooth, so that when the samples are drawn, they will have the appearance of having been carded. This is greatly promoted by the largely increased number of brushes now added by the best manufacturers.

The packing should be in square bales ; and, without reference to freight, or any of these mere incidental influences, I think the weight of the bale should be fixed at about four hundred, or four hundred and twenty-five pounds ; to be in two breadths of wide bagging, pressed until the side seams are well closed, or a little lapped, and then secured with six good ropes, the heads neatly sewed in, so that when complete and turned out of the press, no cotton should be seen exposed. These packages should be nearly square, for the greater beauty of the bales, but still more, for the greater convenience with which they may be handled and shipped, saving the necessity for tearing the bags, and giving a better guarantee that they will reach a distant market in good order.

The crop is now made and ready for market, and as I have gone through with the labor of making, I hope I may be pardoned for manifesting a little interest as to its disposal, and therefore venture to offer a little advice on that subject. Create no liens on this crop, or necessity for selling. Never spend the money which it is to produce, until it is sold. You are then free to choose your own market, and time of selling ; and as cotton is a controlling article, it will generally regulate the value of all property to be purchased, except the redemption of an outstanding promise.

I might have said something about the topping of cotton, but all I could have done, would have been to put it down as a contingent operation, and doubtful in its effects upon the crop, I might also have descanted largely in the enumeration and description of insects and diseases peculiar to cotton, suggested some remedy, and swelled my essay, by a flourish in the dark, upon topics about which little is known ; but I have felt that it would be most in accordance with my plan, and certainly most with my feelings, to candidly confess my inability, and include these all under the head of Providential contingencies, to which this crop is liable, and against which we may war and contend, but which will, after all, prove an overmatch for the energy, skill, or wisdom of man."

GOVERNOR Hammond's report. 21

SECTION II. — GOVERNOR HAMMOND'S REPORT. From the South-Western Farmer

We give at the conclusion of this notice, the Eeport of a Committee of which our friend, J. H. Hammond, was chairman. We congratulate him on the knowledge of farming that he displays. We see how readily the educated and intelligent can learn the business of farming. But a short time since, our old school-mate was up to his eyes in politics — he now retires to the field — there to live a quiet, peaceable life. We rejoice at it, and can but repeat the remark we made to him, before he was made Governor — " You are wrong — you have no business in that sphere — seek your ease and peace — it suits you better, and will give you satisfaction." His answer was then, as his works answer now : " 1 will do so as early as the force of circumstances will permit" — or to this purport were both.

We again congratulate him, and also our country, in the success of our friend — we also press on all agriculturists any article from the pen of Hammond ; he will, we feel assured, give all matters that he writes on, his minute and particular attention. We have known him from both of our boyhoods, and know him to be talented and observing, and more than all, when he does apply himself, it is an application deserving and insuring success.

As we are his senior in planting the cotton, especially in personal attention to it, we beg to give him a hint or two. We may err in our notions ; and why we say so, is, that we differ materially from so large a number of farmers. We think that very early planting is disadvantageous ; and to define early planting, we think the last week in March is early enougli at any time, even for this year, when, it will be borne in mind, the fruit trees were quite green at that time; to plant as early as the 15th or 20th of March is " very early." We generally judge it to be time to plant corn when the "leaf of the oak is as large as the squirrel's ear;" many of our planters have planted cotton as early. We think cotton planted from the 1st to the 10th of April is early enough for old land, and have known by several crops that the later planting, say 10th, was considerably better than the early — we know this not only by our own weights and measures, but also by others.

We would make an exception to early planting. New ground and rich fresh land, has such a tendency to make weed, that it is necessary to plant as early as a stand can be ]iad — so all think; we would not object, but think that judicious culture would make a different result. We would act precisely as with the tree that produced wood instead of fruit — amputate the roots. We think that if the land has been broken up very early, and left to be consolidated by rains, then planted about the 5th to the 10th of April, thinned out as early as it was up, cultivate deep and late, that the stalks would set the fruit and ripen in time. Do we not thus with fruit trees, Irish potatoes, and sweet potatoes — the latter two, by either cutting off tops, or feeding with calves ? And why not a similar practice with the cotton plant ?

The cotton plant is a very tender plant if treated as it was some ten or fifteen years since — some three to six bushels of seed sown per acre, and not thinned out until the third leaf had appeared. It has been raised in a hot-bed, and no wonder it is tender; but if sown thinly, and then thinned out to single stalks, we think it a hardy plant. There is no use in trying the hardihood of the plant. It is unlike corn — it has a tap root, grows in dry weather, and unless the land has

GOVERNOE Hammond's report. 23

not been properly prepared, or remarkably dry, it will improve by hot or dry weatber — but corn having superficial roots, should be planted early as possible, that it may ripen before drought sets in. If cotton will make 1000 lbs. per acre, when planted late in May, there can be no fears to plant 10th April. The farmer can place his land in excellent order — have his corn cleaned handsomely, and when cotton is up, he can rush it to the utmost. We request our friend H. to plant one acre of cotton, even now, after his seeing this, on a piece of well-ploughed land, in the same field that he has now even scraped over; just open out furrows where the cotton now stands, which will destroy the cotton that has been scraped. Our impression is, that the difference will be very slight, and if adopted generally would give considerable time to manure, plough, and improve, instead of giving cotton the additional working necessary. The land that we have known planted late, would not, in average seasons, make anything like one-third more, by early planting, and if the extra labor was applied to improving it, we doubt, if it would yield as much. Understand, we do not advocate either late or early planting — that is, after the 25th of April or before 1st — and only wish to show there is not so vast a difference between planting 1st of April and 1st of May. What would be the gain to any farm by the extra month's work ?