20 



BULLETIN" 511^ U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUEE. 



equipped with two scrapes, one of which runs on each side of the row 

 and scrapes the soil away from the cotton plants, leaving them on a 

 small ridge, where they can be easily chopped to a stand with a hoe. 

 After chopping, the next cultivation is given with a 2-horse 4-shovel 

 cultivator equipped with four 6-inch or 8-inch sweeps instead of 

 shovels (fig. 10). These sweeps push the earth back to the cotton 

 plants. Three or four cultivations are given with this implement, 

 and the size of the sweep is increased at each cultivation up to 12 

 or 14 inches. 



For the last cultivation this same implement is used, equipped 

 with only two large sweeps. (See fig. 11.) Often a 2-horse disk cul- 



FiG. 10.— A 2-horse 4-shovel cultivator with small sweeps attached instead of shovels, extensively used 

 for the tillage of cotton in Texas, Oklahoma, and other sections of the cotton belt. 



tivator is used for the last cultivation. A few farmers empfcy a 

 1-horse sweep in cultivating, but most of the work is done with 

 2-horse implements. The cotton is left slightly ridged at the last 

 cultivation. (See fiig. 12.) In all, five or six cultivations are given. 

 At the third or fourth cultivation the rows are again gone over with 

 a hoe and any weeds or extra cotton stalks are chopped out. No 

 cover crops are grown. 



The principal varieties of cotton grown are Georgia Big Boll, King's 

 Improved, Rowden, and Mebane. 



The most troublesome weeds are cocklebur, crab-grass, careless 

 weed, morning-glory, and pigweed. 



