I 9 4 COTTON 



characteristics can be greatly improved : (i) yield of 

 lint, (2) uniformity and length of lint, (3) size of boll, 

 (4) resistance to disease, (5) earliness, (6) resistance to 

 storms. 



Climatic Conditions. Since the native home of cotton 

 is in the tropics, its production in the United States is 

 limited to the warmer sections. Practically no cotton is 

 grown north of the 37th parallel of latitude. It is not cul- 

 tivated to any considerable extent north of the northern 

 boundary of North Carolina and Oklahoma. Warm days 

 and nights are very necessary during the early growth of 

 cotton. Four or five months of high temperature are re- 

 quired for the complete maturing of this plant. There 

 should be no frost later than April i nor earlier than 

 November i for the best production of cotton. 



Rainfall is a very important factor in cotton production, 

 except where grown under irrigation. During the growing 

 period, the rainfall should be abundant enough to furnish 

 a good supply of moisture. During the picking season 

 dry weather is desired, in order that the highest quality of 

 lint may be produced, as wet weather accompanied by high 

 winds is injurious to the quality of the lint. 



Soils. Cotton is adapted to a wide variety of soils. 

 Sandy loam and clay loam usually give the best results. 

 As a rule, light sandy soils produce the smallest yields. 

 As cotton is a more profitable crop on poorer land than is 

 corn, the uplands are generally planted to cotton and the 

 more fertile lowlands to corn. Heavy clay soils or soils 

 having a hard, compact subsoil are not suitable for cotton 

 production. Commercial fertilizer in some form is usually 

 applied to cotton fields. The type of soil and its fertility 

 usually determine the kind of fertilizers used. 



