la TBINIDAD AND TOBAGO BULLETIN. [XVIIL 1. 



COTTON. 



NOTES ON THE CULTIVATION OF COTTON. 



PEEPARATION OF THE SOIL. 



For the cultivation of cotton, a fairly light soil is preferable — soils 

 known as "loams" or " sandy loams " are the most suitable. The 

 land should be thoroughly cutlassed or weeded, lined and holes of 

 approximately 18 inches square by 6 inches deep dug. The soil removed 

 from the holes is mixed with 5 lb. (12 to 16 tons per acre) of well rotten 

 pen manure and the holes refilled. When possible the land should 

 either be ploughed or forked and harrowed before lining. 



PLANTING SEASON. 



There are two distinct periods in the life of the cotton plant : a 

 vegetative period of some 4 to 5 months during which the plant makes 

 its full growth and a reproductive period of some 3 to 4 months during 

 which the bolls are ripening. During the first period a good rainfall is 

 required to ensure a regular growth and the seed should therefore be 

 planted in June or July at latest, at the commencement of the rainy 

 season. The results of experiments carried out at St. Augustine with 

 plantings in June, July, August and September showed a steady decrease 

 in the crops for the later plantings respectively. Three seeds should 

 be put to a hole and 4^ lb. of good seed will be sufficient to plant an 

 acre and supply missing holes. In suitable weather the plants will 

 begin to appear after 5 or 6 days and in order to obtain a regular stand 

 the missing holes should be supplied by the end of the second week. 



DRAINING. 

 If the land requires it, draining should be done immediately before 

 or after planting so that the earth from the drains may be spread 

 at the first weeding. It is a great mistake to believe that because a 

 soil is of a fairly sandy nature it does not require draining. One of 

 the chief causes of the dropping of the flower buds and shedding of 

 bolls is the want of proper drainage. 



CULTIVATION. 



About four weeks after planting it will be necessary to make the 

 first weeding. This should be done with great care, the grass or 

 weeds close up to the plantlets being removed with the hand so as not 

 to injure the young plants. Such injuries are liable to cause rotting 

 of the stems. The plants should then be slightly moulded up. It is 

 now time to do a preliminar3- thinning ovt bj' pulling out the weakest 

 plant from each hole, care being taken to make the soil firm around the 

 remaining plants. A second weeding will be necessary about 4 to 6 weeks 

 after the first and the young plants should again be moulded up, and the 

 thinning out completed. One and probably two other weedings will be 

 necessary. The last weeding may be done as the bolls begin to open. 



