CULTIVATION. 103 



watered tends to crack most and deepest, and therefore 

 requires the most careful fassing. The cracks in the soil 

 open deeper and deeper, ever doing more damage to the 

 plant roots, and causing an excessive loss of water from the 

 sides of the large cracks. To be of greatest advantage and 

 to be most easily carried out, fassing should be undertaken 

 as soon as the fass will clean itself; this will generally be 

 when the soil is already crusted and has a greyish appear- 

 ance. The first fassing after sowing cotton should be 

 begun as soon as possible, even before all the seedlings are 

 visible, as it is essential that the young plants should not 

 be isolated on clods and be unable to freely extend their 

 roots. The sooner the land is fassed, the greater will be 

 the saving of water and the longer the plant will be able 

 to go without irrigation with its evils of diluting the plant 

 food. The first fassing must be very light, just deep 

 enough to cover the soil with a loose surface layer and 

 destroy the weeds which might choke the young plants. 

 This fassing must be carefully done from the seedlings to 

 the top of the neighbouring ridge, so that all the soil crust 

 is pulverised and there is no subsequent danger of the 

 plants being torn by the hard surface. The seed holes 

 which have not yet produced seedlings should be carefully 

 fassed, or the crust over the seed should be dealt with by 

 hand. Another reason for having the first fassing as 

 early as possible, is to keep the soil in a good moist condi- 

 tion so that it will be possible to replant after fassing. The 

 second fassing is usually the heaviest. Much of the soil 

 from the opposite ridge is drawn up to the plants. This 

 soil added to the plant side of the ridge, offers a new soil 



