110 FIELD CROPS FOR THE COTTON-BELT 



to the acre can be greatly reduced. However, under the 

 best conditions it is seldom wise to plant less than one- 

 half bushel of seed to the acre. 



126. Methods of planting. Cotton is in nearly all 

 cases drilled and afterwards chopped to a stand. The 

 single-row planter is most commonly used, which opens 

 the furrow and drops and covers the seed at one trip. With 

 the idea of decreasing the expense of chopping, planters 

 have been put on the market which drop the seed at regu- 

 lar intervals rather than in a continuous drill (Fig. 17). 

 The satisfactory use of these planters generally requires 

 that the seed be treated before planting with a paste of 

 some kind to cause the "fuzz" to acjhere to the seed. To 

 do this the method referred to in paragraph 124 is rec- 

 ommended. The use of this method reduces the amount 

 of seed necessary to plant an acre. 



Cotton seed should be covered very shallow, especially 

 if planted early. Deeper planting may be practiced later 

 in the season when the soil is warm and there is not so 

 much danger of heavy rains. Best results are secured by 

 barely covering very early-planted seed, but when planted 

 late it is well to put the seed in moist soil, provided this 

 does not necessitate planting more than two and one-half 

 inches deep. 



CULTIVATION 



127. Objects of interculture. Farmers often pos- 

 sess a confused idea as to the objects of interculture. 

 Many have the very erroneous idea that the primary 

 object sought is the deep stirring of the soil, and following 

 out this idea, they attempt to accomplish, after the crop 

 is up and growing, what should have been accomplished 

 in the early preparation of the seed-bed. 



