The Bulletin. 21 



middle of the row. Aud did you ever notice how vigorously the little 

 fibrous roots attempt to go along with this soil solution? 



But you have your plants on the ridge and every time the heel scrape, 

 or other cultivator, passes along the row these little feeding roots, for 

 such they are, are cut off and the plant is forced to make its develop- 

 ment in the small space of the ridge allotted to it by the grower. Any 

 leachings from the ridge and middle are carried out into the depression 

 between the rows and the surface waters carry them out of the field into 

 the drainage. 



'Now suppose we use level culture. The tap root goes down deep into 

 the subsoil as before, but the fibrous, lateral roots, instead of remaining 

 confined in the narrow ridge, spread far and wide in the upper layers of 

 soil and obtain nourishment wherever it can be found, whether in the 

 middle of the rows or in the immediate ridge where the stalk is stand- 

 ing. These small roots will not, however, rise above the depth at which 

 the heel scrape or the cultivator tooth runs, hence shallow cultivation is 

 necessary in order not to cut off these small feeding roots that carry 

 nourishment to the cotton plant. 



On examination the fibrous roots coming from one row will be found 

 to meet and pass those coming from the other and the whole soil layer 

 between the rows will be found full of these small roots just below the 

 culture zone. This is not true, however, where the plants are confined 

 TO tall narrow ridges with deep dead furrows between. On well drained 

 soils, therefore, we can see no good reason Avhy the cotton crop should be 

 cultivated on a ridge. 



APPLICATION OF FERTILIZERS. 



Having prepared a good seed bed by plowing, harrowing, dragging, 

 etc., the cotton rows should be laid off from three and a half to five feet 

 apart, varying with the fertility of the soil and the amount of fertilizer 

 to be used. A medium sized furrow should be opened and the fertilizer 

 applied some ten days or two weeks before planting. The concensus of 

 opinion seems to be in favor of putting the fertilizer in the drill in case 

 not more than 400 pounds to 600 pounds are used, but, if heavier appli- 

 cations are put on the quantity should be divided into two parts, one of 

 which should be put in the drill, the other to be used as a side dressing 

 some weeks after planting. 



CULTIVATION. 



A small ridge is necessarily made over the fertilizer and when the 

 middles are broken out, which is sometimes necessary, the field is 

 thrown into a series of beds which should be quite low. Just before 

 planting these low ridges should be dragged still lower and by the time 

 the cotton is planted the field should be reduced to practically a level 

 surface. Planting should begin as soon as all danger from killing frosts 

 has passed. 



It is not possible to set any definite date for the first cultivation. Some 

 find it good practice to run over the field with a weeder before the cotton 

 comes up in order to break the crust and destroy germinating weed and 

 grass seeds. As a rule the cultivators should start as soon as the crop is 



