The cron is required in Magento v1.9.x to run emails and other scheduled extensions
The correct format is /usr/bin/php /home/cpanel_username/public_html/cron.php
And should run every 5 mins in cPanel.
Replace cpanel_username with the actual account cpanel user name.
Examples:
/usr/bin/php /home/plsshop/public_html/cron.php
/usr/bin/php /home/dcakesup/public_html/cron.php
A handy extension to check if the cron is working is "Cron Doctor"
https://www.magentocommerce.com/magento-connect/cron-doctor.html
It allows you to see the cron in action from within the Magento admin panel.
