COTTON PROBLEMS IN LOUISIANA. 7 



of controlling the behavior of the plants has been found. The de- 

 velopment of vegetative branches can be avoided by leaving the 

 plants closer together during the early stages of growth ; that is, by 

 allowing the plants to grow larger before they are thinned and then 

 leaving them closer together in the rows than has been customary.^ 



To bring the plants to early fruiting by controlling the formation 

 of branches seems to have distinct advantages over root pruning by 

 deep cultivation, for controlling the branches does not involve any 

 sudden checking of the growth of the plants, by which time may be 

 lost in the development of the crop. There is also the danger that 

 severe root pruning, if carried into the fruiting period, may cause the 

 shedding of the flower buds and thus delay the crop in another way. 

 The effect of the two systems is the same in the general sense that the 

 individual plants do not grow as large as when no restrictions are 

 imposed, but with the new system this limitation of the size of the in- 

 dividual plant is made good by leaving larger numbers of plants in 

 the rows, though at the same time avoiding the injurious effects that 

 would come from crowding if the vegetative branches were not sup- 

 pressed. Nevertheless, the two methods of restricting growth can 

 be readily combined if this should prove necessary under the extreme 

 conditions found in Louisiana. 



Another feature of the new system that may be of special value in 

 Louisiana is that it may carry with it the possibility of securing 

 an additional advantage from topping the plants as a further means 

 of hastening the development of the crop. Under the usual system 

 that allows the plants to develop vegetative branches topping often 

 fails completely of its .desired effect, or may even be injurious, since 

 cutting off the main stalk may only stimulate the development of 

 the vegetative branches. But with the vegetative branches sup- 

 pressed the topping of the main stalk toward the end of the season 

 may become a useful measure. These are some of the questions that 

 require further experimental study. 



It is still too early for any expression of opinion regarding the 

 advantage to be gained from the new system under Louisiana con- 

 ditions, but the results that have been secured in California and 

 Texas seem to leave no doubt of the possibility of suppressing the 

 vegetative branches and thus changing the habits of growth in the 

 direction of earlier fruiting. With the vegetative branches out of 

 the way the fruiting branches have better exposure to the sun and 

 attain a better development. The plants are more upright, and the 

 space between the rows is not filled by projecting vegetative branches. 



1 Cook, O. F. A new system of cotton culture. U. S. Department of Agriculture, 

 Bureau of Plant Industi-y. Circular 115, p. 15-22, 1913. 



Abortion of fruiting branches in cotton. U. S. Department of Agriculture, 



Bureau of Plant Industry, Circular 118, p. 11-16, 1913. 

 [Cir. 130] 



