COTTON CULTURE 35 



broken shallow in the spring. Deep, light, 

 sandy soils should not be broken in the fall 

 unless covered with a heavy crop of vegetation 

 or where a winter cover crop is to be planted 

 to utilize available plant food and prevent 

 leaching. 



Where land was broken deeply in the fall, 

 rebreak in the spring from three to four weeks 

 before time to plant, and throw in slight beds 

 or ridges the desired width of the cotton rows. 

 This will give sufficient time for the beds to 

 become firm before planting. This spring 

 rebreaking or bedding can be very rapidly and 

 satisfactorily done with a disk cultivator by 

 adjusting the disks so as to throw up a slight 

 bed. Just before planting, freshen and thor- 

 oughly pulverize the surface of the beds to a 

 depth from one to one and one half inches. 



The cotton plant first throws out its feeding 

 roots in the moist, warm, surface soil, and it is 

 best, therefore, immediately before planting, 

 to use freely the section, disk or some other 

 harrow. Time spent in making a good seed 

 bed in not wasted. Go over the field several 

 times with the harrow if necessary. 



Where it is not possible to break the land in 



