226 COTTON CULTURE 



which retains a considerable amount of free water from the rains of 

 winter. 



Method of Plowing. The best method of preparing the soil 

 for cotton is first to plow or break the land level ; that is, to turn all 

 the furrow slices in the same direction. Although it is a common 

 custom in many sections to at once ridge or bed the land for planting 

 by throwing together for each ridge usually four furrow-slices, a 

 much better condition of the soil is reached if this operation is sub- 

 sequent to that of a thorough level plowing. 



The efficiency of the first plowing is much increased if the furrow- 

 slices are cut narrow and even and are thrown well together. 



Depth of Plowing. The depth to which cotton lands should be 

 plowed depends somewhat upon the character of the soil and the 

 amount of vegetable matter which is to be turned under. Heavy 

 clay or bottom-land soils should be broken to a depth of at least 8 

 inches. If the soil is very stiff and in poor physical condition, plow- 

 ing to a depth of 10 inches will insure a better preparation. On 

 sandy and loamy soils a more shallow plowing of 6 or 8 inches in 

 depth is usually sufficient. These types of soils are usually in a 

 better physical condition and are more readily brought to a state of 

 good tilth than are soils of a marked clayey or silty character. 



The depth of the soil regulates to a considerable extent the quan- 

 tity of moisture which will be retained after a season of rains. It 

 is therefore of great importance that the land be deeply and thor- 

 oughly broken by the preparatory process. 



Disking and Harrowing.. It is often best after plowing to 

 thoroughly disk and to harrow the land, thereby cutting and break- 

 ing the larger clods left by the plow. The heavier clay soils may 

 require both of these additional treatments before they are in a 

 satisfactory condition, but for the sandy and loamy soils the single 

 process of harrowing is usually sufficient. 



Importance of Thorough Preparation. A land well plowed 

 is the foundation for a good crop of cotton. The surface vegetable 

 matter is more thoroughly incorporated with the soil, and its decay 

 and consequently its addition to soil fertility is thereby hastened ; the 

 soil is made mellow and fit for planting; the moisture retentiveness 



