178 



CHAPTER XI 



Cultural Methods. 



Soil Preparation. — While winter ploughing should be 

 practised in order that full advantage may be taken of the rela- 

 tively short growing season, it should be undertaken for the 

 purpose of insect pest control as well. Just prior to planting, 

 the soil should be worked down into a fairly fine condition. 



Manorial Kequirements. — The cotton crop is less of a 

 drain on the soil than any of the ordinary South African field 

 crops. 



Plant Foods Eemoved from the Soil by Crops.* 



The manurial requirements are readily met in most of our 

 soils when a green-manuring crop is ploughed under every third 

 or fourtli year, and when occasional dressings of phosphates — ■ 

 about 200 lbs. of superphosphate per acre — are provided. 



Planting.— This should be done from the middle of 

 October to the middle of November. In some areas where 

 frost rarely occurs, the seed is planted as early as September. 

 Generally speaking, the longer the growing season the larger 

 the yield, so that the rule should be to plant as early as condi- 

 tions permit. In very few areas of the Union is it profitable 

 to plant later than the first week in December. The earlincss 

 of planting is modified by the date of the first planting rains 

 and, as previously mentioned, by winter ploughing. 



