42 BULLETIN 511, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRlCtTLTUEE. 



The general methods of preparing a seed bed for cotton are very 

 uniform. During the winter the old cotton or corn stalks are cut 

 with, a stalk cutter and in the early spring the land is plowed with 

 a 1-horse or 2-hoi'se turning plow. Most often l-horse plows are 

 used. As broken, the land is thi-own into beds the width apart 

 the cotton rows are to be. Before planting, these beds are har- 

 rowed once or twice with a spike-tooth harrow, which brings the bed 

 down almost level. If the land is rough or not in good condition, it is 

 often rebedded with a turning plow and then harrowed with a spike- 

 tooth harrow just before planting. Cotton is planted on this small 

 bed with a 1-horse planter. The rows average 3J feet apart and 

 If bushels of seed is planted per acre. After thinning, the stalks 

 are left from 12 to 15 inches apart in the drill. 



For cultivating after planting, 1-horse implements are largely 

 employed. 



About 10 days after planting, the first cultivation is given with a 

 1-horse harrow-tooth cultivator known as a "side harrow." This 



implement is sometimes used for the 

 second cultivation. After the first 

 or second cultivation the cotton is 

 chopped to a stand. The following 

 cultivations are given with a 1-horse 

 sweep or scrape. Small 12-inch or 

 14-inch scrapes are used at first, and 

 Fig. 20.-A 1-horse 3-shovei cultivator the size increased with each cultiva- 



equipped with small sweeps instead of ^[q^ ^p ^q 20 Or 22 incheS. Many 

 shovels, used for the tillage of cotton in '- n i iij.- 



St. Francis County, Ark., and other parts larmcrS USe a l-horSC 2-ShOVel CUltl- 



of the cotton belt. vator equipped with solid sweeps in- 



stead of shovels. A few farmers use a 1-horse 3-shovel cultivator 

 (fig. 20) and a 2-horse 2-shovel cultivator equipped with broad sweeps 

 instead of shovels. At the third or fourth cultivation the cotton is 

 again gone over with a hoe and any extra stalks or weeds are chopped 

 out. In all, five or six cultivations are given. In cultivating, the 

 soil is gradually worked toward the cotton, thus leaving the row on a 

 slight ridge at the last cultivation. 



No cover crops are grown and no commercial fertilizer is used. 

 What stable manure is produced is applied to the truck crops and 

 on the poorer spots over the fields. 



There are numerous varieties of cotton grown in this county. 

 Some of the most popular are King's Improved, RusseU's Big BoU, 

 and Simpkins' Prolific. 



The most prevalent and troublesome weeds are crab-grass, Bermuda 

 grass, cocklebur, morning-glory, Johnson grass, and nut-grass. 



