COTTON 



121 



at the same time, increases the yield of cotton per acre. 

 The introduction of these new methods is a slow process, 

 partly because of* lack of capital, but chiefly because it is 

 difficult to get farmers to change from a method with which 

 they are familiar to an untried one. 



The lack of capital is now being overcome by the operation 

 of the Rural Loan Act which makes it possible for a farmer 

 to obtain loans for equipment and live stock. To overcome 

 the farmer's resistance to a change of methods, an educational 

 program is being introduced. It will deal with adult farmers 



EACH DOT 



REPRESENTS. 



2,000 BALES 



Distribution map of cotton. (U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.) 



through county agents and farm demonstrations, and with 

 boys through club work and the public schools. 



Cotton growing has lately been introduced into the irri- 

 gated regions of Arizona and Southern California. These 

 regions are particularly well adapted for the production of a 

 kind of cotton with a long staple or fiber. On account of 

 its strength, this kind of cotton is in demand for the manu- 

 facture of rubber tires for automobiles. 



Preparation of the seed bed and planting. The usual 

 time for plowing is February or March. Where cotton is 

 grown successively on the same land fall plowing has several 

 advantages; among them are a better control of the boll- 



