656 THE farmers' handbook. 



the superphosphate, and partly in a form which becomes available to the 

 plant at the later stages in the bonedust. The combined fertiliser therefore 

 feeds the cotton regularly throughout its life. 



On the medium soils 2 cwt. per acre should be applied, but on the better- 

 class land 1 cwt. will be sufficient. The fertilisers should be sown at 

 the same time as the seed. Most maize-droppers are provided with a 

 fertiliser distributor, but if no machine is available the fertilisers may be 

 broadcasted. 



Cultivation. 



When the soil conditions are favourable in regard to warmth and moisture, 

 germination occurs immediately, and the plants appear in a few days. As 

 soon as the young plants are well above the ground, cultivation should be 

 commenced. It loosens up the soil and destroys the sprouting weeds. The 

 first cultivation should be light, and generally a light tine cultivator or 

 harrows will do all the stirring that is needed. It is most important that 

 this cultivation should be given as early as possible, and that it be repeater* 

 as frequently as necessary. At this stage the cotton plants are not vigorous 

 enough to outgrow the weeds, and furthermore it is necessary to destroy the 

 weeds before they are well rooted. Cotton is somewhat shallow-rooted, and 

 if the weeds are allowed to make much headway deep cultivation will be 

 necessary to dislodge them, and by cutting and tearing the cotton roots, 

 this deep working will be somewhat harmful. In the later cultivation 

 disc or tine cultivators may be used, according to circumstances. The aim all 

 the time should be to keep the soil in a fine, loos # e condition on the surface to 

 retain the moisture and destroy weeds, and to avoid going so deep that the 

 roots be broken. 



Thinning. 



This process in cotton-growing countries is known as " chopping," and is 

 essential to the ultimate success of the crop. As already indicated, the 

 seeding must be heavy to insure a good stand, but this results in many plants 

 coming close together, and, to give each plant sufficient room to develop 

 satisfactorily, thinning is necessary. Failure to thin results in many of the 

 plants being spindly and unthrifty. The operation should be delayed until 

 the plants are about 9. inches high, and they should be thinned to about 

 9 inches apart. Leaving the thinning until this stage makes it possible to 

 select the strongest plants, and also tends to check what are called the 

 vegetative branches (those that bear few bolls), and to cause the plants to 

 produce chiefly fruiting branches. Some growers thin to 12 to 15 inches 

 apart, but it is considered that by leaving the plants closer together as good 

 a yield, if not better, is obtained and picking is carried out more easily. 



Thinning can be done with the hoe, but hand-pulling is more satisfactory, 

 as the weakest plants can then be pulled, and the strong, vigorous plants 

 preserved, a more regular stand being obtained than is possible when the 

 plants are " chopped." 



Cotton Under Irrigation. 



Cotton can be grown successfully on the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Areas 

 on the light loamy soils, but not successfully on the heavy soils, chiefly 

 owing to the difficulty of securing a satisfactory germination. The details 

 given above in regard to culture apply largely to cotton grown under irriga- 

 tion also. The land should be well graded, and should be flooded, and then 



