i8 COTTON 



detrimental at any time. After the plant has 

 attained its full size, a lower temperature and a drier 

 condition of the soil are required in order to check 

 vegetative growth and enable the bolls to develop. 

 Under unfavourable conditions, such as lack of sun- 

 shine, excessive rain, or early frosts, the crop is liable 

 to be seriously diminished. The cotton plantations 

 should be so situated as not to be exposed to strong 

 winds, since these are liable to injure the plants and 

 also promote rapid evaporation with a consequent 

 drying of the soil. 



Soil. Success in cotton growing depends to a 

 large extent on the character and physical conditions 

 of the soil. The soil should contain a fair amount 

 of sand, which must be finely divided and thoroughly 

 incorporated with the other constituents. Soils which 

 are very rich in humus are unsatisfactory since they 

 lead to the production of too much foliage at the 

 expense of the fruit, and only a small quantity of fibre 

 is formed. Stony or rocky ground is objectionable, 

 whilst stiff, clayey soils are very unsuitable, as they 

 retain too much moisture and clog the roots. As a 

 matter of fact, however, cotton is cultivated with 

 more or less success on soils of almost every descrip- 

 tion. On very sandy soils, the supply of moisture 

 is usually deficient, the plant is small, the fruit is 

 formed too early, and the yield of cotton is usually 

 poor. In general, it may be said that the most suit- 

 able soil is a deep, medium loam with good natural 

 drainage, but capable of retaining sufficient moisture 

 to supply the needs of the plant. The Sea Island 

 cotton of the United States grows best on light, fine- 

 grained, sandy soils containing from about 4 to 8 per 

 cent, of clay, 4 to 6 per cent, of silt, and 75 to 90 per 

 cent, of fine sand. Such soils usually contain about 

 5 per cent, of moisture. The soils most suitable for 

 the cultivation of Upland varieties contain on an 

 average from 10 to 12 per cent, of moisture during the 

 growing season. 



Cultivation and Harvesting. In considering the system 

 of cultivation, it should be borne in mind that the 

 object of any system is to render assistance to the 



