Cultivation 



Intensive cultivation is very necessary. 



1. To remove weeds. 



2. To keep the ground mellow. 



3. To conserve moisture. 



To irrigate frequently and cultivate at long intervals, usually means 

 a very deficient crop. The best results are obtained if the beets are 

 cultivated often enough to maintain a fine surface mulch and sufficient 

 water stored early to mature the crop. In arid regions, however, it is 

 impossible to store enough prior to seeding to make a crop. 



After the beet plants are up, they should be blocked out with a sharp 

 hoe and subsequently thinned, leaving one sturdy plant every eight 

 inches. 



Rotation 



By adopting a system of rotation, the beet crop is not only increased, 

 but every other crop grown on the same land is increased. Experiments 

 on one hundred and fifteen farms demonstrated the benefits to other 

 crops grown in rotation with beets, as is indicated in the following tabled 



In planting a rotation, alfalfa or some legume should be included. 



COTTON 



COTTON is the planter's main crop in the south and com is the far- 

 mer's mainstay in the north. Corn differs from cotton, however, 

 in that it can be grown very successfully in the southern states. Cotton 

 requires a season at least six months long and a temperature ranging 

 from sixty to one-hundred degrees Fahrenheit. It also requires an 

 abundance of moisture during the growing season and fruiting period, 

 and dry weather while the bolls are openmg and during the harvesting. 



