40 



Characters to Avoid in Cotton. — Avoid l)()th extremes 

 in the matter of branching of the plant. On the one 

 hand, the "limbless" or "cluster" varieties hold all in- 

 fested squares and do not permit them to fall to the 

 ground where the weevil stages might be destroyed 

 in large numbers by the heat of the sun. The small 

 amount of shade produced is therefore of no advant- 

 age. . This retention of infested squares favors a larger 

 percentage of development among weevil stages with- 

 in and the close grouping of squares facilitates more 

 rapid and abundant infestation by the weevils which 

 do not have to travel far from one square to another. 

 On the other hand, the long-jointed, rank-growing va- 

 rieties produce both a maximum of shade which keeps 

 the sun from exerting its possible control and they 

 also set a minimum of fruit in the period refjuired to 

 produce three generations of weevils. Therefore, tiie 

 weevils can often destroy all squares on such cotton 

 as fast as they are formed- The result is liable to be a 

 complete failure in the crop with such rank, late-grow- 

 ing varieties. A good type of plant is shown in Plate V. 



Plant as Early as Soil and Air (A)nditions Arc Favor- 

 able . — It is a well known fact that moderately early 

 planted cotton commonly yields better than that plant- 

 ed late. Extremely early planting is hardly desira])le 

 or advisable. The object is to have the plant grow off 

 rapidly and steadily, so that the fruiting may be abund- 

 ant and the period from squaring to the real making 

 of the crop may be as brief as possible. Plant then as 

 early as soil and air conditions become favorable for 

 the rapid and continuous growth of the cotton. The 

 date for this will vary in different seasons and in dif- 

 ferent sections of the State. 



Uniform Date For Planting Desirable. — It is an ad- 

 vantage to have all cotton in a locality reach the squar- 

 ing condition at approximately the same date. Wee- 

 vils cannot begin to reproduce until s(piares form. IT 

 one field in a locality forms s(piares a month earlier 

 than does another nearby field it will prcxhice a gen- 

 eration of weevils which may spread to the later field 

 and injure it verj' seriously before it can set its crop. 

 Thus while the earlier field may produce a fair yield, 

 the later field may produce nothing. A ditference of 

 three weeks in date of |)lanting in adjoining fields has 

 been seen occasionally to make all the difference be- 



