CULTURE OF DURANGO COTTON IN THE IMPERIAL VALLEY. 9 



PLOWING. 



Irrigated lands should be thoroughly and deeply stirred in prepara- 

 tion for planting cotton in order to insure necessary aeration and to 

 put them into condition for the storage of water and the proper 

 growth of the plants. Some "soft" lands containing an abundance 

 of humus may not rec^uire more than a thorough disking before being 

 planted for the first time, but after a season of settling" and packing 

 by irrigation all characters of soil will be benefited by thorough 

 plowing. 



DISKING AND HARROWING. 



Following heavy irrigation, soft lands can be put into condition to 

 plant flat by disking and harrowing. This saves the labor of hsting. 

 The seed is planted in the moist soil and germinated without irriga- 

 tion after planting. It is much more difficult to handle heavy soils 

 in this way. Usually following irrigation the heavy soil is hsted and 

 the seed is planted on the ridge and germinated by mmiing water 

 through the furrows. 



FURTHER PREPARATORY OPERATIONS. 



Land that is to be planted flat should be nmlched by harrowing, to 

 conserve the moisture and keep the land soft until planting time. On 

 land that has been fisted the ridges should be pulled down by cross- 

 harrowing, to leave the tops flat and broad and mth the soil on top 

 well pulverized. It should be kept in mind that all the operations of 

 land preparation are for the purpose of securing fidl and prompt 

 germination by providing the seed with proper conditions of soil and 

 moisture. 



PLANTING. 

 PLANTING TIME. 



As a general rule the best results will be had from planting after 

 March 20. Earfier plantings may be subjected to numerous setbacks, 

 amomiting in some instances to a complete loss of the stand. AU 

 cotton should be planted by the last of April, though good crops have 

 been grown from May plantings. 



DEPTH. 



Planting is done with a 1-row or 2-row machine planter. If only 

 a very limited quantity of choice seed is available a larger acreage 

 can be planted by dropping the seed by hand, four or five to the hill. 

 The seed should be covered to a depth of 1^^ to 2 inches. 



DISTANCE. 



It is usual to plant lows from 3 feet 6 inches to 3 feet 10 inches 

 apart. 



85941°— Cir. 121—13 2 



