450 FIELD CROPS 



the season. These tools pull out some of the young plants, 

 but usually they are much thicker than is necessary and those 

 that are pulled out with the harrow will not have to be hoed 

 out later. At the same time large numbers of young weed 

 and grass plants are killed, and the labor of later cultivations 

 is lessened. Thin planting obviates much of the work of 

 chopping out, and the frequent use of the cultivator makes 

 hand hoeing largely unnecessary. Shallow cultivation with 

 flat blades or with small shovels is taking the place of deeper 

 cultivatio-n with large shovels or the turning plow. Culti- 

 vation is now continued practically up to the time the bolls 

 begin to open. In this way, the crop is kept growing 

 throughout the season, weeds are prevented from seeding, 

 and the supply of moisture is maintained. 



HARVESTING THE CROP 



613. Picking. As soon as a considerable number of the 

 bolls have opened, picking is begun. This operation usually 

 begins in the extreme south about August 15, while farther 

 north it may be delayed till September 15. Picking must 

 be done by hand, as no satisfactory machine for the purpose 

 has yet been produced, though many attempts have been 

 made to invent such a boon to the cotton producer. The 

 main difficulty with a mechanical picker is that the crop 

 ripens over a considerable period of time and all of it can not 

 be picked at once. The mechanical picker injures the plants 

 if it is used when they are yet growing, while, if the cotton is 

 left in the field till the end of the season, much of it will be 

 damaged by the weather. 



When the boll opens, the lint is easily dislodged by a 

 slight pull with the hand. Men, women, and children are 

 all engaged in the work of cotton picking. The lint is placed 

 m sacks or baskets as it is picked, and as these are filled they 

 are emptied into wagons to be hauled to the gin. In order 

 to gather all the crop in the best shape, three pickings are 



