PREPARATION OF LAND FOR EGYPTIAN COTTON. 19 



whereas a lighter soil may be pulverized sufficiently after a thorough 

 irrigation to hold enough moisture to germinate the seed without 

 further irrigation. Only as much land should be irrigated at one time 

 as can be prepared and planted before becoming too dry to germinate 



the seed. 



Seed must always be planted in moist soil. The seed may be 

 drilled in with a cotton planter, which will plant either one or two 

 rows. This may be either a one or two horse machine. If a single- 

 row walking planter is used it may be necessary to mark out the rows 

 on the bed before planting in order to keep the planter on the bed. 



PREPARING BERMUDA AND JOHNSON GRASS LANDS. 



While it may cost the grower from $8 to $10 an acre to put Bermuda 

 and Johnson grass land in shape for cotton, by intensive cultivation 

 during the first season the grass can be kept down, although it may be 

 found necessary to chop it out in the rows at the time the cotton is 

 being thinned. Bermuda grass alone is not so hard to eradicate as 

 Johnson grass or a mixture of Johnson and Bermuda grasses. 



It is possible by shallow plowing during November or December, 

 followed by thorough disking and harrowing, to put Bermuda-grass 

 land in shape for cotton. If the land is kept thoroughly disked and 

 harrowed during the winter the freezing will greatly aid in killing the 

 roots. Two or three weeks before planting the land should be plowed 

 from 4 to 6 inches deep and thoroughly pulverized. If regular culti- 

 vation be kept up during the early part of the growing season or until 

 the cotton plants become large enough to shade the ground, the 

 Bermuda grass will not have a chance to establish itself enough to 

 become a nuisance. By such culture it is believed to be possible for 

 the growers to eradicate the grass entirely within two or three years, 

 growing a remunerative crop on the land. 



PREPARING ALFALFA LAND. 



In preparing for cotton alfalfa land which is not overrun with Ber- 

 muda or Johnson grass the same general plan could be followed. 

 However, it will not be necessary to do as much disking and harrowing 

 or cross plowing as in the case of land infested with Bermuda and 

 Johnson grass. If alfalfa land is plowed 2 inches deep and turned up 

 to the sun until thoroughly dried and then later in the season plowed 

 4 to 6 inches deep there will be very little trouble caused by alfalfa 

 during the following season. Alfalfa land may be prepared any time 

 prior to the planting season, but the best results will be obtained if the 

 land is plowed first in October or November, followed by a second 

 plowing in January. 



[Cir. 110] 



