COTTON CULTIVATION 367 



a normal growth of limbs and foliage should be cultivated 

 late, while plants of large size may be " laid by " earlier, 

 BO as to check the growth of stalk. 



After cotton has received whaf has been planned to be 

 the last tiUing, rains sometime occur within a few days, 

 destroying the soil-mulch made by the last cultivation. 

 In this case it is usually advisable to give an additional 

 late cultivation, so as to reestablish the soil-mulch, and 

 to retain the moisture in the soil. 



At the final tillage of cotton, the middles are always 

 thrown out. 



334. Depth of cultivation. — The same principle applies 

 here as in the tillage of any 6ther crop. At the first culti- 

 vation, the depth may well be shallow, medium, or deep, 

 as the judgment of the farmer dictates. But in the sub- 

 sequent tilhngs, the depth should be shallow ; that is, just 

 deep enough to destroy vegetation and to form a soil-mulch 

 thick enough to check evaporation. 



Usually a depth of l^- to 2 inches meets these require- 

 ments. The finer the soil particles forming the mulch, 

 that is, the more complete the pulverization effected by 

 the tilling implement, the less the thickness of soil-mulch 

 required to check evaporation. A three-inch mulch of 

 small clods is less effective than an inch mulch of well- 

 pulverized soil. 



335. Sowing seed among growing cotton plants. — 

 When it is desired to improve the soil by growing, during 

 the cooler months, some soil-improving plant, such as 

 crimson clover or hairy vetch, the time selected for sowing 

 the seed is usually immediately after the first picking. 

 By choosing this time, no cotton is knocked from thr 



