356 SOUTHERN FIELD CROPS 



and grass and to prevent the formation after each rain of 

 a crust on the soil, which would hasten the loss of water 

 by evaporation. Likewise, the middles are cleaned or 

 thrown out as often as necessary for the same purpose. 

 The larger the plant becomes, the wider, as a rule, are the 

 scrapes or sweeps employed. 



It should constantly be borne in mind that one of the 

 principal objects of tillage is to form a mulch of loose dry 

 soil through which the moisture from the lower layers 

 cannot rise and be evaporated. 



331. Subsequent hoeing. The hoeings subsequent 

 to chopping are necessary only when vegetation grows 

 along the line of plants in spite of the earth thrown upon 

 the young weeds in siding. Hoeing is a cleaning rather 

 than a true tillage or mulching process. Next to picking, 

 it is the most expensive operation in cotton culture ; 

 hence, as far as practicable, the horse implements should 

 be made to lessen the necessity of hoeing. 



332. Amount and frequency of tilling. There can be 

 no fixed rule as to how often cotton should be cultivated. 

 The general rule is to cultivate it before the formation of 

 a crust following each rain. Four "plowings" may be 

 considered the minimum and six or more are often advis- 

 able. The total number of furrows per row required in 

 good tillage is usually between twelve and sixteen. In addi- 

 tion to this, two or more hoeings are usually given. 



333. Late tillage. Practice varies greatly as to the 

 stage in the life of the cotton plant when cultivation should 

 cease. In most parts of the cotton-belt, tillage is contin- 

 ued through July and sometimes into August. The gen- 

 eral rule is that cotton plants that are making less than 



