logging of the
soil, which is extremely undesirable. The plough is immediately followed
by the field labourers, whose work is now to draw the loose soil round
the Cotton plants. This last process of "hauling" completes the
labourers' work for a time, and is done for the purpose of keeping the
plant erect and preventing it from falling down. This hauling process is
repeated until July, when only one plant is left out of the five or six
which were planted originally. After four haulings, which are completed
as a rule by the end of July, the productive processes may be said to be
completed. If the weather has been favourable and the soil kept fairly
moist, a good crop may be fully anticipated. What the planters like to
see during the growing period is a summer in which the sun shines every
day, accompanied by those frequent and gentle showers which clean the
plant and give the necessary humidity to the atmosphere and soil. Two
things are dreaded by the planter--excessive heats and abnormal showers.
The bloom appears about the middle of June and a couple of months after
this the plants are ready for picking. This operation usually is carried
on from the beginning of September or end of August right on into
November, sometimes through this month into December. Here are given a
few particulars which have been collected by Shepperson bearing on this
particular subject.

+-------------+---------+----------+---------+------------------+---------+
| | Usual | | Usual | | Usual |
| | date to |Usual date| date to | Usual date to | date to |
| | begin | to begin | finish | begin Picking. | finish |
| STATES |Preparing| Planting.|Planting.| | Picking.|
| | the | | | | |
| | Land. | | | | |
+-------------+---------+----------+---------+------------------+---------+
| N. Carolina | Feb. 25 | April 15 | May 10 | Sep. 1 | Dec. 10 |
| S. Carolina | Mar. 5 | April 15 | May 7 | Aug. 15 to Sep. 1| Dec. 1 |
| Georgia | Feb. 1 | April 10 | May 1 | Aug. 15 to 20 | Dec. 1 |
| Florida | Jan. 20 | April 1 | May 1 | Aug. 10 | Dec. 1 |
| Alabama | Feb. 1 | April 5 | May 10 | Aug. 10 to 20 | Dec. 15 |
| Mississippi | Feb. 1 | April 5 | May 10 | Aug. 10 to 20 | Dec. 15 |
| Louisiana