CHAPTER IX 

 TILLAGE FOR COTTON 



THE tillage practices employed in the production of 

 cotton are, as a rule, very poor. At least five reasons can 

 be given for this. (1) A relatively large percentage of 

 the cotton crop is produced on " one-horse " farms, where 

 thorough plowing and the use of improved implements 

 are impossible. (2) A scarcity of heavy draft animals 

 is often the cause of poor tillage practices even on the large 

 farms. (3) A large percentage of the acreage in cotton 

 is tilled by renters rather than landowners. In most cases 

 little or no direct supervision of farm operations is given 

 by the landowner, and, as a result, very superficial tillage 

 is practiced. (4) Many unprofitable practices employed 

 in the early days of cotton production in the South have 

 become more or less traditional, being handed down from 

 one generation to the next. (5) Little knowledge of the 

 fundamental principles underlying the growth and nu- 

 trition of crops. 



While tillage practices vary somewhat in accordance 

 with soil and climatic conditions, the cotton-grower must 

 remember that all practices are based on principles and 

 reasons, a knowledge of which is absolutely essential 

 to maximum success. 



PREPARATION OF THE SEED-BED 



The most important single factor in the profitable 

 production of cotton is the preparation of the seed-bed. 



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