58 BITLLETIN 511, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



sandy-loam lands are rather hilly, with numerous level plateaus and 

 bottoms. 



The farms are large, and especially so in the prairie sections. The 

 average size of the farms studied is 299 acres, with 166 acres culti- 

 vated. No definite rotations are practiced. The principal crops 

 grown are cotton, corn, oats, cowpeas, and peanuts. Some sweet 

 potatoes, Irish potatoes, and truck crops are grown for home use. 

 Only enough corn and oats are grown to feed the farm live stock. 

 Cowpeas are usually cut for hay or are planted between the corn rows, 

 the peas picked by hand, and the vines pastured by cattle. Peanuts 

 are often grown between the corn rows and pastured by hogs after 

 the corn has been harvested. In the prairie regions alfalfa and John- 

 son grass are grown extensively. Bermuda-grass pastures are main- 

 tained on many farms. Some cattle and hogs are raised for market, 

 and a few dairies are maintained. Enough fruit is produced to supply 

 local markets and for home demands. In the prairie regions hay is an 

 important product, but in all areas the farm income is largely from 

 the sale of cotton. 



In preparing a seed bed for cotton most of the work is done in the 

 spring. At some time during the winter or early spring the old cot- 

 ton or corn stalks are cut up with a stalk cutter, and the land is 

 plowed in the early spring. For plowing, 2-horse teams are generally 

 used, and as broken the land is thrown into beds the desired width 

 apart for cotton rows. On sandy land a few of the small farms use 

 1-horse plows for breaking, and on some of the larger farms 2-horse 

 middle busters are employed. 



Before planting, these beds are harrowed with a spike-tooth har- 

 row. Many farmers rebed the land before harrowing, using the 

 same plow for this as for the first breaking. FertiUzer is apphed 

 only on the sandy or sandy-loam lands. The average quantity appUed 

 per acre for cotton is 202 pounds. This is appUed between the 

 beds, and usually the land is rebedded on the fertihzer. Sometimes 

 this fertilizer is apphed on top of the bed just before planting. No 

 cover crops are grown, and very Uttle stable manure is produced. 



Cotton is planted during April. A 1-horse planter is used. The 

 rows average 3^ feet apart, and an average of 4 pecks of seed is 

 planted per acre. After thinning, the stalks are left from 12 to 18 

 inches apart in the drill. 



In cultivating after planting, a number of different implements are 

 used. Soon after the cotton is up, the field is harrowed with a spike- 

 tooth harrow or with a 1-horse harrow-tooth cultivator. The next 

 cultivation is given with a 12-inch or 14-inch 1-horse sweep, and three 

 furrows are given each row. Sometimes a 1-horse spring-tooth cul- 

 tivator is used for the second cultivation. After this, practically all 

 the cultivating is with 1-horse sweeps, the size of the sweeps being 

 increased at each cultivation. A few farms use a 1-horse 1-row cul- 



