16 



MISC. PUBLICATION 3 5, U. S. HEFT. OF AGRICULTURE 



damage. In other words, it is to be a race between the cotton plants 

 and the weevils, and this is always interesting. As in all races, an 

 early start carries with it a great advantage to the runner. 



There are other things that you will need to think about in grow- 

 ing and protecting your cotton. Among these are the preparation 

 of the seed bed, the use of fertilizers, and the careful cultivation 

 of the crop. The land should be plowed during the fall and winter 

 and thoroughly prepared for the seed bed, so that you will have 

 no delay in early planting. The proper use of the right commercial 

 fertilizers will give you larger yields and help your crop to ripen 

 faster. 



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Fig. 10. 



When fall came there was a good crop of cotton in the fields that had heen 

 properly dusted with calcium arsenate to kill the boll weevils 



Careful cultivation during the growing season is necessary, too, 

 if you want a good crop to grow. The plow should not be run too 

 deep or too close to the plants, as this will cut off some of the roots 

 and make the flower buds drop off. When boll weevils are being 

 fought you must avoid this. It is a good thing for you to keep on 

 cultivating until late in the season. This causes the plants to keep 

 on forming flower buds, and these new buds will attract the weevils 

 and stop them from laying eggs in the bolls that are still on the 

 plants. If we can have plenty of bolls we are fairly sure to get a 

 good cotton crop. (Fig. 10.) 



