FARM PRACTICE IN THE CULTIVATION OF COTTON. 61 



Usually cotton is planted in March or the first part of April. A 

 2-horse 1-row lister planter is used, which leaves the rows level or 

 sUghtly listed. 



The rows average 3^ feet ap.art, and an average of 3 pecks of seed 

 is planted per acre. After thinning, the stalks are left fi;om 15 to 20 

 inches apart in the drill. 



In cultivating after planting, 2-horse 4-shovel or 6-shovel culti- 

 vators are employed almost entirely. These cultivators are some- 

 times equipped with shovels or with sweeps, and sometimes with 

 shovels near the cotton and sweeps for the middle of the row. 



Many farmers use small sweeps instead of shovels for the later cul- 

 tivations. During the season four or five cultivations are given. 

 After the first cultivation the cotton is chopped to a stand and again 

 gone over with a hoe at the third or fourth cultivation to chop out 

 weeds or extra stalks of cotton. 



No cover crops are grown, and very little stable manure is produced. 

 No commercial fertilizer is used. 



The principal varieties of cotton grown are Mebane, Triumph, and 

 King's Improved, 



The most prevalent and troublesome weeds are careless weed, 

 Johnson grass, morning-glory, and buffalo grass. 



SUMMARY. 



The results of these studies are presented to portray the prevaihng 

 conditions, customs, and tillage practices found in the various regions 

 where cotton is grown. No attempt is made to make recommenda- 

 tions based on the data presented. 



These studies clearly show that yields of cotton are governed 

 largely by cHmatic conditions, the inherent fertihty of the soil, the 

 quantity of commercial fertilizers used, and the character of tillage 

 given. The yields of cotton are directly related to the amount of 

 tillage given after planting. 



The principal types of drainage employed in the cotton belt are 

 terraces and surface ditches, open ditches, and tile drains. The type 

 of drainage employed is determined by the character of the soil, 

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



Tillage before plowing is primarily for the purpose of cutting up 

 the stalks and weeds of the previous season's growth, so that they 

 wiU not interfere with cultivation. Little thought is given to bene- 

 fits derived from pulverizing the surface soil before breaking. 



Whether land be plowed in the fall or spring is governed largely 

 by the previous crop and by the type of soil. The conditions in 

 the cotton belt are such that most of the land is plowed in the spring. 



The depth of plowing land for cotton is largely determined by the 

 type of soil. The light sandy or loamy soils are plowed slightly 



