There were in each room two windows, a door and a large, rude fire-place.  The door and window frames, or facings, were held in their places by wooden pins, nails being used only in putting the doors together.  The interior of the cabins had nothing more attractive than the outside—­there was no plastering and only a dirt floor.  The furniture consisted of one bed, a plain board table and some benches made by the slaves themselves.  Sometimes a cabin was occupied by two or more families, in which case the number of beds was increased proportionately.  For light a grease lamp was used, which was made of iron, bowl shaped, by a blacksmith.  The bowl was filled with grease and a rag or wick placed in it, one end resting on the edge for lighting.  These lamps gave a good light, and were in general use among the slaves.  Tallow candles were a luxury, never seen except in the “great houses” of the planters.  The only light for outdoors used by the slaves was a torch made by binding together a bundle of small sticks or splinters.

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Cotton raising.

After the selection of the soil most suitable for cotton, the preparation of it was of vital importance.  The land was deeply plowed, long enough before the time for planting to allow the spring rains to settle it.  Then it was thrown into beds or ridges by turning furrows both ways toward a given center.  The seed was planted at the rate of one hundred pounds per acre.  The plant made its appearance in about ten days after planting, if the weather was favorable.  Early planting, however, followed by cold, stormy weather frequently caused the seed to rot.  As soon as the third leaf appeared the process of scraping commenced, which consisted of cleaning the ridge with hoes of all superfluous plants and all weeds and grass.  After this a narrow plow known as a “bull tongue,” was used to turn the loose earth around the plant and cover up any grass not totally destroyed by the hoes.  If the surface was very rough the hoes followed, instead of preceding, the plow to unearth those plants that may have been partially covered.  The slaves often acquired great skill in these operations, running plows within two inches of the stalks, and striking down weeds within half an inch with their hoes, rarely touching a leaf of the cotton.  Subsequent plowing, alternating with hoeing, usually occurred once in twenty days.  There was danger in deep plowing of injuring the roots, and this was avoided, except in the middle of rows in wet seasons when it was necessary to bury and more effectually kill the grass.  The implements used in the culture of cotton were shovels, hoes, sweeps, cultivators, harrows and two kinds of plows.  It required four months, under the most favorable circumstances, for cotton to attain its full growth.  It was usually planted about the 1st of April, or from March 20th to April 10th, bloomed about the 1st of June and the first balls opened about August 15th, when picking commenced.  The blooms come out in the morning and are fully developed by noon, when they are a pure white.  Soon after meridian they begin to exhibit reddish streaks, and next morning are a clear pink.  They fall off by noon of the second day.