Annette,

When is cotton picked in your part of the world?

Cotton was mostly in east Texas; it didn't become a common crop in other parts of Texas until the late 19th century. Cattle, sheep, pigs, wheat, and corn were the big crops prior to that.

Edit:When is cotton picked, jeez I need new glasses. Cotton harvest is at different times, depending on where you are in the state and some regions can have more than one harvest, but mostly from July to December.  

--Last edited by annette bethke on 2009-03-25 22:11:30 --

Affleck's Almanac
July 1860

Neither corn nor cotton are tended as late in the season as they should be, and especially the latter. Plows, sweeps, or cultivators should now be kept constantly going in the cotton, and particularly in upland crops, to encourage a late growth, and the retention of forms and bolls which are otherwise apt to drop off; it is very desirable that the whole crop should be perfectly clean before picking begins....Every requisite provision for cotton-picking should be made by the first of the month, that no time may be lost and nothing hurried when the crop opens--sacks and baskets made and marked, beam and scales properly arranged, gin-yard cleaned off and scaffolds erected, etc....Millet sowed late, will need cutting. Sweet Potatoes require working; and the last planting, from cuttings of vines, should be made before the end of the month. Sow Turnips after the middle of the month.

Every preparation should be made for a brisk onset, next month, to insure a good fall and winter garden. The ground must be cleaned off, manured and well plowed and harrowed or dug. Cabbage, Brocoli and Celery seeds sown, if there is not a full supply of plants....During showery weather, plant a few kidney beans...Sow Rutabga Turnips early in the month, and the other sorts during the last week....Sow Endive, Lettuce and Radishes; and transplant, last week, if the season prove favorable, Cabbages, Cauliflowers, Brocoli, Celery, Tomatoes, Leeks, Shallots, ets. A few Irish Potatoes may be planted. Melons for mango pickles, and Cucumbers also for pickling. Sugar Corn for late roasting ears. Tomatoes will furnish a supply when the spring-sown crop has ceased to bear and will continue good until the frost; and when frost is expected, if a few strong plants, full of fruit, be taken up by the roots, and hung up in a cool, dry cellar, the fruit will gradually ripen for some time.

New Orleans, etc. The above hints will be serviceable here. The same preparations should be made for next month's operations. It will be best to postpone most of the planting-out until then. Mulching, or covering the surface of the ground with some rough material, will be found advantageous to all growing vegetables.

The Peach and Nectarine are emphatically Southern fruits. Yet the great attnetion and care bestowed upon their cultivation in some of the Northern States, New Jersey for instance, have produced crops there when our neglected trees failed. The richest and most luscious, juicy peaches and nectarines we have ever seen, were grown in this part of the Mississippi.  

--Last edited by annette bethke on 2009-03-25 22:26:55 --

Affleck’s Almanac
July 1860
Improved Breed of Hogs.
Warning: Quote includes period stereotypes of African-Americans.

Why is it that so few planters make their own bacon and pork? There is nothing in the climate or state of things in the South to prevent all doing so, who go about it in the right way.

Upon plantations, a few good animals, well cared for, will yield much better results than large stocks running at large. Negroes are all especially fond of roast or baked pig, and will prey upon the young stock, if not closely watched; and when running entirely at large, this is difficult to do.

But it will not pay to feed and care for such hogs as are usually to be found upon plantations. Some animals, like some men, assimilate their food better—make better use of it in the way of accumulating flesh—than others. The common wood’s-hog or land-pike can, certainly, take better care of himself than any of the improved breeds. He carries no surplus flesh, and can make good use of his legs. But, at same time, he will yield less fat meat for every bushel fed to him, than such animals as those represented in our engraving, will from gallons [very scary rendition of some very odd looking pigs included with this article].

The stately, handsome animal, standing on the right, is a portrait—all, by the way, are actual and correct portraits—of a fine specimen of Woburn boar. Immediately behind, also standing in the background, is a sow of the same breed. The Woburns were highly esteemed in Kentucky, some fifteen and more years ago, and are yet, by those who have them. Dr. S.D. Martin, of that State, was their most zealous advocate, and skilful breeder and feeder.

The very handsome young sow, lying on her side, to the left, is a cross of what Dr. Martin called a White Berkshire, upon his pure-bred Woburns; and was one of a pair he called his “Banter pigs,” from having fed them against a pair of Black Berkshires, bred and fed by Mr. Fanning, of Nashville. The Doctor’s pigs won the day, by long odds. We saw them weighed at the start and at the finish—at eight months and seven days old, they weighed, the two respectively, 354 and 348 pounds, or the two, 702 pounds! A very few such animals, well cared for, would supply a large place with pork.

Behind the Banter sow, stands a Suffolk Boar, perhaps the favorite fancy breed at present. They are reasonably productive, of medium size, and fatten kindly.

The other three are Black Berkshires, some years ago, the most noted of all breeds, and still the prime favorites of many breeders.

There is scarcely a plantation which could not spare an old or weakly hand, to attend to a good but moderate stock of hogs. If such a hand put, each season, twenty-five head of hogs into the meat-house, weighing two hundred pounds nett [sic], he would clear more than he possibly could in the cotton field.

And then comes another fact connected with this suggestion—that each hand thus employed, would, probably, clear as much more, by lessening the amount of the cotton crop to the extent of what his labor, employed in it, would have made; thus enhancing the value of the rest.

Affleck’s Southern Rural Almanac 1860, page 85

Affleck's Almanac
August 1860

Southern Rural Almanac, 1860, August

The Plantation
…cotton will open freely now...do away with the hands carrying their loaded baskets on their heads. It is an unnecessary addition to their day's works, and frequently causes accidents. At intervals from the 1st to the 20th, sow Turnips…Sow Winter or Egyptian Oats, and Rye…Clover may now be sown in open pastures, or on north hill-sides.

Garden Calendar
Natchez, Central Texas, etc.
This is, perhaps, the most important month of the year in the
kitchen garden. The crop is not only more valuable, both in an
economic and pecuniary view, but the vegetables are of better
quality and endure longer in perfection. If the soil has not been
already put in order, manured and dug or plowed, let no time be lost in preparing. When rainy or dark weather occurs, set out plants of Cabbage, Brocoli [sic], Cauliflower, Kale, Savoys, Brussels sprouts, Celery, Endive, etc…. Sow Turnips at two or three different times during the month; also Mustard…A few Irish Potatoes may be planted…
Plant Sugar Corn for late roasting ears. Melons and Cucumbers for
pickles, a few Snap Beans, Peas, and Broad Beans. Sow Radishes,
Lettuce, Curled and Water Cress, Parsley, Onions, Parsnips, Spinage [sic], Carrots, Leeks, Beets, etc….carrots and parsnips both make growth enough before winter to stand uninjured, and are then and in early spring in perfection; beets should now be sown for a main crop, growing well, and continuing in perfection till midsummer.

The Kitchen Garden in the South
[In this section he discusses laying a garden out, etc. and then
lists the following vegetables and planting instructions]

Artichoke
Asparagus
Beans
Beets
Borecole
Brocoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery
Chervil
Colewart or Collard
Corn (Indian)
Cress-Peppergrass and water
Endive
Egg Plant
Garlick
Leek
Lettuce
Melon-Musk and Water
Mustard
Nasturtium or Indian Cress
Okra  

--Last edited by annette bethke on 2009-04-14 22:13:36 --

Affleck's Almanac
Advertisement
Pg. 92

Fine Stock for Sale
[the stock listed]
Durham Cattle
Hogs--cross of Worburn and Irish, Yorkshire, Suffolk, cross of imported White Berkshire
"Improved Kentucky Sheep"--new breed especcially adapted to the West and South.

Affleck's Southern Rural Almanac, and Plantation and Garden Calendar for 1860. Starting page 104, September.

The Plantation
Not a day nor an hour of favorable weather should now be lost; but push the gathering in of the cotton crop with all hands...Whilst cotton is too wet for picking, Peas may be gathered and thoroughly dried before being put away. Winter Oats, Rye and Clover must be sown if practicable, during this month.

Garden calendar
We can only refer to the instructions given last month, to be
continued during the present one. After the first week, it will not do to risk large plantations of Peas, Sweet or other Corn, or Snap Beans. Sow Early York and other Cabbages, to be set out in January. They may require a little protection during severe weather. So of Lettuce. Sow Turnips and Mustard, etc.

[He then discusses composts for fruit trees; he mentions Apple, Pear,Plum, Quince, Grape-vine, Peach, Nectarine, Cherry, Fig, Orange.]