CHAPTER XXVII 

 COTTON CULTURE 



Climate. Cotton is a delicate, sun-loving plant. It requires 

 for its development a long, warm growing season of six or seven 

 months, during which the rainfall is evenly distributed. 



Length of Growing Season. One of the most important features 

 of a climate suited to the growth of cotton is the probable date of 

 the last killing frost in spring and of the earliest frost in autumn. 

 Unless there is a frostless period between these dates of at least 180 

 days the fullest development of the plant in all of its functions will 

 not be attained, for while the harvesting of cotton often extends far 

 into winter, the first killing frost of autumn checks the active growth 

 of the plant, and the blossoms and the bolls formed at this time will 

 not develop mature fiber (Fig. 84). 



Amount and Distribution of Rainfall. The amount and distri- 

 bution of rainfall has a very important bearing on the success of the 

 crop. The cotton plant thrives best during a season marked by light, 

 frequent showers, preferably at night, so that there may be the 

 maximum daily amount of sunshine. Heavy, frequent rains during 

 that period in the life of the plant from the thinning or " chopping 

 out " process to the formation of the first bolls will cause a too rapid 

 development of the vegetative parts to the detriment of a normal 

 formation of the flowers and fruit. If rains are too frequent during 

 the latter part of this period, the unopened flowers, or " squares," 

 drop from the plant in great numbers and its yield is consequently 

 decreased. Also, boll-rot (anthracnose) is more prevalent in rainy 

 seasons than in others. During the picking season, if heavy rains 

 occur, a considerable amount of the lint is discolored, or even 

 beaten from the open pods and lost. 



Temperature. The temperature of the growing season should 

 be high and its daily range uniform during the early life of the 

 plant. Either a great and sudden rise in temperature or a pro- 

 longed coolness during this period is liable to check the vegetative 

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