FARM PRACTICE TN THE CULTIVATION OF COTTON. 



5 



instead of being plowed flat, subsoiling is practiced only in those 

 furrows immediately under the row. 



Table III indicates that where a light or loamy soil is underlain, 

 with a heavy clay subsoil, as in Robeson County, N. C, subsoiling 

 is more often employed with good results than where the subsoil is 

 light or where the topsoil is a heavy clay. 



TabIjE ITT. — Practices with cotton in nineteen regions surveyed, showing data in regard 

 to subsoiling, drainage, and tillage before -plowing. 



The key letters under "Region surveyed" refer to the location of farms studied, as follows: A= Pemiscot 

 County, Mo.; B= Mississippi Delta; C= Robeson County, N. C; D= Mecklenburg County, N. C; E 

 Barnwell County S. C; F=Pike County, Ga.; G=Tift County, Ga.; H= Giles Coimty, Tenn.; 1= 

 Bulloch County, Ga.; J=St. Francis County, Ark.; K= Ellis County, Tex.; L= Chambers County, Ala; 

 M=Johnston County, Okla.; N=JefFerson County, Fla.; 0= Lincoln Parish, La.; P= Lavaca County, 

 Tex.; Q=Houston County, Tex.; R= Monroe County, Miss.; S= Bexar County, Tex.] 





Subsoiling. 



Drainage. 



Tillage before plowing. 



Region 



Farmers 

 practic- 

 ing. 



Aver- 

 age 

 depth. 



Opinions of 



farmers 

 reporting. 



Ter- 

 races or 

 surface 

 ditches. 



Open 

 ditches. 



Part 

 tiled. 



All 

 tiled. 



Farmers 

 practic- 

 ing. 



Farmers using. 



surveyed 

 (fig. 1). 



Stalk 



Harrow. 





Good. 



Bad. 



cut- 

 ter. 



Disk. 



Spike- 

 tooth. 



A. 



Per cent. 



Indies. 



P.ct. 



P.ct. 



P.ct. 

 20 

 20 

 12 

 100 

 20 

 52 



56" 



24 

 60 

 72 

 100 



P.ct. 



48 

 76 



84 



44' 



44 

 84 

 40 

 56 

 40 

 28 

 28 



P.ct. 



P.ct. 



Per cent. 



88 

 92 



100 

 52 

 76 

 92 



100 

 44 

 88 

 84 

 76 

 40 

 84 

 60 

 60 



100 

 76 

 76 



P.ct. 



88 

 92 

 88 

 40 

 76 

 92 

 96 

 32 

 84 

 84 

 72 

 40 

 84 

 60 

 60 

 100 

 64 

 76 

 76 



P.ct. 

 12 



4 



88 

 12 



4 



P.ct. 



B 



8 

 48 

 60 

 24 

 44 

 16 

 12 

 8 

 4 



8 



Hi 



• 10 



10 



in 

 Hi 



lOi 



12 



10 



100 

 91.5 

 46.5 

 33.5 

 91 

 50 



100 



100 



100 



' 's'.s 



53.5 

 66.5 

 9 

 25 



8 

 8 

 16 



4 





C 





D 





E. 





F 



4 







G.. 



16 

 4 

 4 





H 



16 





8 



I 





J . 







K 





4 





L 



48 



10 



58.5 



41.5 



12 





M 







N 



4 

 20 









12 

 52 

 12 

 16 



88 



44 

 48 



> 











10 



40 



60 









P 









Q.. 



12 



40 



........ 



66.5 

 70 



33.5 

 30 







12 





R 



4 



4 1 





S 





80 





4 













1 1 





DRAINAGE. 



The kind of drainage employed is governed by the type of soil, the 

 topography, the amount of rainfall, and the value of land. There are 

 three principal types of drainage employed (Table III) : Terraces and 

 surface ditches, open ditches, and tile drains. 



Surface ditches and terraces are employed where the rainfall is 

 heavy and the land rolling. In most sections of the cotton belt the 

 organic content of the soil is very low and the rainfall high. In those 

 areas having a clay or clay-loam soil and a roUing topography numer- 

 ous surface ditches and terraces are required to carry off the surface 

 water and prevent erosion. (Fig. 2.) 



Open ditches are employed in flat or level lands having poor 

 drainage conditions. These ditches answer the same purpose as tile 

 drains. They usually surround the fields and occupy considerable 

 land that otherwise might be cultivated. 



