OTHER FARM CROPS 543 



would bring a large supply of inert material to the surface, and the 

 supply of available plant food in the upper layer of soil would be 

 limited. Shallow rooted crops, like the cereals, would scarcely make 

 a maximum growth on the inert sub-soil. Cotton sends down a long 

 tap root, and it wou!4 r scarcely receive as severe a check as wheat or 

 oats; however, the seedbed should be placed in an ideal condition 

 for the more vigorous growing plants. As soon as the field is plowed, 

 the surface should be harrowed down thoroughly. In some sections 

 farmers make a practice of listing their cotton ground quite early in 

 the spring, and about a month later the field is re-listed and planted. 

 During wet seasons cotton which is planted in a listed row may be 

 placed at a disadvantage on account of the moisture. On sandy fields 

 such a plan affords some protection where the soil has a tendency to 

 blow. From a quarter to one-half bushel of seed appears to be the 

 proper amount to use in planting. 



Tillage, or cultivation, has a two-fold object; first, it breaks up 

 the surface soil and in forming a mulch prevents the evaporation of 

 moisture; and secondly, it keeps the land free from weeds. The 

 latter plants are objectionable in that they consume large quantities 

 of moisture and plant food, hence the supply for the useful plant be- 

 comes limited. Surface cultivation should be given as soon as the 

 cotton is large enough to permit the operation. There are cases 

 where the harrow or weeder could be used to good advantage before 

 plants make their appearance. Heavy showers frequently occur im- 

 mediately after planting and a thick crust forms upon the surface of 

 the field. This crust may become firm enough to prevent the young 

 cotton from reaching the surface. A stroke with a smoothing har- 

 row will aid these plants in breaking through, and the light mulch 

 formed will also tend to conserve moisture for future use. As soon 

 as the plants are up nicely, the surface soil should be stirred thor- 

 oughly to a depth of one or one and one-half inches. A spring tooth 

 cultivator or an implement that has five or more teeth arranged in 

 each section will do more effective work than a machine which has 

 but two or at most three shovels on each section. The large, heavy 

 shovels roll the earth to some extent and unless some care is exer- 

 cised the young plants may be covered with the moving soil. Some 

 cotton growers recommend the use of the cotton sweep for the first 

 cultivation. It is true that this implement is very effective in cut- 

 ting off and destroying weeds which come up in large numbers early 

 in the season, but it does not pulverize the surface sufficiently to 

 form a good dust mulch. 



When the cotton plants commence to show the third leaf, the 

 crop should be thinned to a proper stand. This work can be carried 

 out best by the use of the hand hoe. Cotton chopping machines 

 have been placed upon the market within recent years. New de- 

 vices are being added from time to time, with the assurance that 

 when the respective types have been perfected, the cotton grower 

 will be able to thin a much larger area within a given time than by 

 following the old method. Good results have been obtained on up- 

 land soil by thinning to a stand of one plant every fifteen inches 



