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has recently been extensively planted in Texas on account of these 

 characteristics, in both the ])ollvvorm and boll weevil infested regions. 

 The importance of the use of selected earlj^-fruiting varieties, as com- 

 pared with the native '" run-dowir' gin seed, was well illustrated in 

 the investigations during 1903. On the plantation of Capt. B. D. Wil- 

 son, at Hetty, Tex., under conditions of severe boll worm injury, early 

 planted King seed produced an average of 1,318 pounds per acre of 

 seed cotton, as against 1ST pounds per acre of early-planted but late- 

 maturing gin seed. The advantage of early planting is emphasized 

 by results secured on various farms. On the Wilson farm in 1903 

 early-planted King with thorough cultivation gave 1,318 pounds seed 

 cotton per acre, as compared with 360 pounds per acre from late-planted 

 King also with thorough cultivation. 



Early and thorough cultivation is another important factor in the 

 production of early cotton. Plants should be chopped out as earh' as 

 practicable to admit of free branching and consequent square pro- 

 duction. The fertilit}^ of the soil, either native or introduced by 

 means of fertilizers, lua}^ be used by plants only in solution. Conse- 

 quently, for the conservation of moisture and other reasons, timely 

 and frequent cultivations are of the utmost importance. 



TRAP CROPS. 



Attention has been elsewhere called to the decided preference of 

 boll worms for corn as compared with other plants upon which it is 

 known to feed. This preference permits of the use of corn in a way 

 calculated to protect cotton from injur}". 



The corn should be planted in belts through the cotton field at a 

 time that will result in its being in tassel and silk about the lirst of 

 August. By this time moths are developing from larva? matured in 

 the roasting ears of neighboring corn which has now begun to ripen 

 and is no longer attractive to the moths for egg-laying purposes. In 

 the natural course of events, the moths migrate to cotton fields, where 

 they deposit the bulk of their eggs. Finding these belts of corn in 

 tassel and silk, however, they deposit on them the greater part of their 

 eggs, and corresponding!}^ neglect the cotton plants. The September 

 generation of larvre is sometimes a source of considerable injury, 

 especially to very late cotton. Corn may easily be brought into silk 

 so as to attract moths of this generation by planting only a por- 

 tion of the belts through the cotton fields at the time of first planting 

 and then completing the work two or three weeks later. The same 

 results may be secured by planting patches of corn here and there over 

 the plantation, following crops of oats, wheat, or Irish potatoes. 

 Cowpeas are very attractive to bollworm moths, owing to their fond- 

 ness for the nectar profusely secreted by this plant. Thus the corn 



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