very light, drifting sandy loams of many of the river valleys of Texas 

 which, in long seasons before the advent of the boll weevil, often pro- 

 duced the largest yields. In these situations early varieties will yield but 

 little more than native cotton. 



(2) Cultivate the fields thoroughly. The principal benefit in this comes 

 from the infiuence that such a practice has upon the constant growth and 

 consequent early maturity of the crop. Very few weevils are killed by 

 cultivation. Much of the benefit of early planting is lost unless it is fol- 

 lowed by thorough cultivation. In case of unavoidably delayed planting, 

 the best course for the planter to pursue is to cultivate the fields in the 

 most thorough manner possible. Three choppings and five plowings con- 

 stitute as thorough a system of cultivation as is necessary in cases where 

 the land has previously been kept reasonably clear. 



(3) Plant the rows as far apart as experience with th« land indicates 

 is feasible, and thin out the plants in the rows thoroughly. On land 

 which in normal seasons will produce from 35 to 40 bushels of corn the 

 rows should be 5 feet apart. Even on poor soil it is doubtful if the dis- 

 tance should ever be less than 4 feet. 



(4) Destroy, by plowing up, windrowing, and burning, all the cotton 

 stalks in the fields as soon as the weevils become so numerous that prac- 

 tically all the fruit is being punctured. This will generally not be later 

 than the first week in October. Merely cutting off the stalks by means 

 of the triangular implement used for that purpose throughout the South 

 is by no means as effective as plowing, because the stumps remaining give 

 rise to sprouts which furnish food until late in the season to many weevils 

 that would otherwise starve. The plowing, moreover, serves to place the 

 ground in better condition for early planting the following spring. In 

 some cases turning cattle into the fields is advisable. , Aside from amount- 

 ing to a practical destruction of the plants, grazing of the cotton fields 

 furnishes considerable forage at a time when it is generally much in 

 demand. Nevertheless, cattle should never be turned into cotton fields in 

 which Johnson grass has become started. 



Recommendations 1, 2, and 3 are all aimed toward avoiding damage by 

 hastening the maturity of the plants and do not involve the actual destruc- 

 tion of the weevils. Recommendation 4, however, reduces the numbers of 

 the pests by destroying the very great proportion developing late in the 

 fall and is consequently directly remedial. 



(5) It is known that at present fertilizers are not used to any consider- 

 able extent in cotton producing in Texas. There is, nevertheless, no doubt 

 that they should be; not that the land is poor, but that earlier crops may 

 be procured. At present it is sufficient to call attention to the fact that 

 it has been the uniform experience of experiment stations and planters in 

 the eastern part of the belt that certain fertilizers, especially those involv- 

 ing a large percentage of phosphoric acid, have a strong tendency towards 

 hastening the maturity of the plants. 



1S9 



