112 



FUNDAMENTALS OF AGRICULTURE. 



it. Broadcast plowing will generally give the best 

 preparation of the soil. After harrowing, the ridges 

 can be sufficiently reformed by the disk cultivator at 

 one passing of the implement. 



Rows vary in width from 3^ feet in poor lands to 



4 feet in the rich alluvial lands. 



Planting is generally done with a planter, though it 

 may be done by hand, a small shovel plow being used 



FIELD OF IMPROVED COTTON, SHOWING METHOD OF RIDGE CULTURE. 



to open the furrow for the seeds. The seeds are then 

 covered by a drag or harrow or small plow. About 

 one bushel of thirty pounds of seed is required to plant 

 an acre. The seeds are put in much thicker than re- 

 quired for a stand. Planting is begun as soon as the 

 danger of frost is thought to have passed. About 

 the 1 5th of March would be early planting for south- 

 ern latitudes and May I5th would be late planting for 

 northern latitudes. The planting period is approxi- 

 mately thirty days for a given locality. 



