112 



AGRICULTURE 



from twelve to twenty inches apart in the row. About 

 thirty pounds of good seed are required to the acre. 



Thinning and cultivation. To yield the best results, 

 the cotton plants must have a steady and vigorous growth. 

 As soon as the plants are up and all danger of frost is 

 past, the cotton should be thinned with the hoe to a uni- 

 form and perfect stand. Cotton requires good cultivation 

 to kill the weeds, keep the soil loose, and preserve a dust 



Field injured by cotton worm. (Insert) cotton worms. 



mulch to conserve the moisture. Cultivation should begin 

 with the harrow before the young plants come up. When 

 the cotton is about five days old the cultivation should be 

 repeated. Disk and shovel cultivators are suitable for the 

 later cultivations. Deep plowing should be avoided late 

 in the season, so that the roots may not be injured. 



Cotton picking. The greatest labor connected with 

 cotton production is the picking of the crop. It is a very 

 slow and costly operation and has been performed entirely 



