152 



AGRICULTURE 



crust and the drying of the land during the few weeks before 



the seeds are 

 planted. Cot- 

 ton is planted 

 as soon as dan- 

 ger of frost is 

 past. Cultiva- 

 tion should be 

 shallow and 

 frequent, and 

 if possible af- 

 ter rains and 

 before a crust 

 would form on 

 the soil, rather 

 On poor land the rows may be 



Fie. 100. A LONG-STAPLE UPLAND COTTON PLANT 



than at regular intervals, 

 as narrow as three feet 

 and the plants as close 

 as one foot apart. As 

 the land becomes richer 

 or is better fertilized, 

 the space for each plant 

 must be increased, be- 

 cause the limbs grow 

 longer. On rich land 

 the rows may be four 

 feet or more apart and 

 the plants about two 

 feet from each other. 

 Planting cotton in checks saves labor, but requires 



FIG. 101. A BIG-BOLL COTTON PLANT 



