258 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



August 22, 1908. 



takes place. The most successful cotton jjlantc-rs have 

 found that improved results are obtained when the soil 

 is allowed to mellow, or 'cool out', for a short time 

 before planting. 



The growth of cotton is attended with the loss of 

 a considerable amount of organic matter to the soil, 

 and it is essential that this should be replaced if good 

 crops arc to be produced. Where cotton forms the 

 main crop of the estate, and is grown year after year 

 on the same land, pen manure dug into the soil, and 

 applied at the rate of about half the quantity usually 

 given to sugar-cane, forms an excellent mode of sujjply- 

 ing: the humus lost. Another method is by growingr 

 cowpeas, or some other leguminous crop, and turning it 

 into the soil. On sugar estates, however, where cotton 

 is but a subsidiary crop, the pen manure supplied to 

 the canes is sufficient also to meet the demands of the 

 cotton. As regards artificial manures, their use in 

 conne.xion with Sea Island cotton has not been attended 

 with profitable returns at Montserrat or St. Kitt's 

 (see Afiricidtnral N'eivs, Vol. VII, p. 24()). In experi- 

 ments with cotton carried out atBarbadosthebestresults 

 ■were obtained from the application of oOO lb. high grade 

 superphosphate, 40 tb. good sulphate of potash, and 

 100 tb. good sulphate of ammonia, per acre. 



In regard to tiie amount of cotton seed required 

 for sowing, it has frequently been pointed out in the 

 publications of the Imperial Department of Agriculture 

 that (i H). of seed per acre is a very suitable quantity 

 under ordinary circumstances of planting. < )n sugar- 

 cane land, the seed is usually sown at distances of 

 ■5 feet in the rows, and 20 inches from plant to plant in 

 the rows, or the rows may be (i feet apart with 

 a distance of IS inches between the plants. 



It is a good plan to sow four seeds at each hole, 

 about an inch deep. Later, uhree of the plants mav be 

 removed, the strongest only being left. It is recom- 

 mended that not more than one plant be allowed to 

 grow at each hole 



The importance of selecting a good strain of seed 

 for planting has been repeatedly urged by the Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture, since the character of the 

 seed has great influence upon the crop return obtained, 

 and especially upon the quality of the lint. In the 

 early stages of the cotton industry in tlir W.st Indies, 

 cotton seed was selected, disinfected, and put on sale, 

 ty Officers of the Department. Many planters now do 

 their own selection work, and selected and disinfciid 

 seed can be obtained from the cotton factories at liarb.i- 

 dos, St Vincent, ami Antigua. Planters should at 

 least assure themselves that the seed planted by them 



is of good origin,' i.e., from plants which in the past 

 season produced lint of the best quality. 



Disinfection of the seed is carried out by immer- 

 sion in a solution of corrosive sublimate made up by 

 dissolving 1 oz. of corrosive sublimate in 7 gallons of 

 water. One gallon of this solution is sufficient to disin- 

 fect about () tb. of cotton seed, which should be soaked 

 for twenty minutes, then removed, immersed in pure 

 water for ten minutes, taken out and allowed to drain, 

 and then spread out in a thin layer in the shade to drj-. 

 After this the seed is ready for planting. It is recom- 

 mended that cottonseed should be treated only just 

 before it is to be sow-n. 



The young cotton plants should receive careful 

 attention during the early stages of growth. The sur- 

 face soil should be worked by hand implements with 

 the double purpose of preventing it from becoming 

 hard and baked, and of keeping it free from weeds. 

 Constant watchfulness will have to be exercised for 

 the first signs of insect pests as soon as the cotton 

 plants are u]). The cotron worm and the cut-worm are 

 the ■. ost Jestructive among the.<^ pests. An effective 

 method of treatment for attack by cut-worm is by 

 the use of poisoned bait, consisting of a mi.xture of bran 

 molasses, and Paris green. 



The cotton worm is well known to growers of Sea 

 Island cotton in most of the West Indian Islands, and 

 has already put in an appearance on one or two estates 

 at Barbados where early planting took place. Supplies 

 of Paris green and lime should be obtained, and on the 

 first appearance of the worm the plants should be 

 dusted with the mi.xture at the rate of! Ih. of Paris 

 green to (j lb. of lime. In the past, this has been shown 

 to be the most effective method of controlling t.he pest. 

 During the coming season, in Barbados, at least, it 

 is expected that c'.xtensivc trials in the use of spraying 

 machines will be made for applying insecticides in 

 cotton fields. 



'i'he comparative value of spraying and dusting 

 methods in the application of Paris green will be 

 a matter of considerable interest, and the results 

 obtained by the use of arsenate of lead, which can be 

 applied only as a spray, will also be watched with 

 intirest. 



The tri.ils made last season on one estate with 

 arsenate of lead ii>dicate that this material will prove an 

 efficient insecticid,e, and that its adhesive qualities will 

 render it more resistant than Paris green to the wash- 

 ing of the heavy rains. This, it is hoped, may result in 

 a saving by reducing the number of applications. 



