132 HUMAN FACTORS IN COTTON CULTURE 



18 to 20 per cent of the region would be devoted to 

 cotton, giving about 3,200,000 new acres. 



The advantages of cotton culture in this area rest upon 

 the fact that high altitude and dry climate have so far 

 kept the boll weevil in check. Thus the necessity for con- 

 tinuous cultivation through the season is not felt. This 

 advantage is further aided by the absence of troublesome 

 weeds. The level fields allow the riding machine type of 

 cultivation to be used to the utmost. A farmer riding a 

 two-row lister with a six-mule team and a set of fenders, 

 knives, disks, and points can plow and plant the land 

 at one operation. Tractors and plowing teams of four, 

 six, and eight horses are used. Under climatic influences 

 the plants tend to ripen at almost the same time. Thus 

 there has grown up a mechanized method of picking 

 cotton called "sledding." These sleds are run across the 

 level fields, plucking the fruited fiber and unopened bolls. 

 By means of specially perfected machinery the boll cot- 

 ton is opened, and the scraps of foliage extracted during 

 the process of ginning. Accordingly, so much less labor 

 of men and mules is required that one farmer may cul- 

 tivate as high as one hundred acres in cotton. Cotton 

 picked with the cotton burr to save time is known as 

 "snaps," and frost bitten bolls harvested whole are called 

 "bollies." The gins return remarkably clean bales from 

 snaps, bollies, and sledded cotton, but the grade is not 

 as good as that of the cotton in the Eastern Belt and 

 receives a lower price. 



The extent to which farmers realize profits from pro- 

 ducing under these low costs is shown by detailed studies 

 made by the Department in Lubbock County, Texas, 

 for 1924, 



