16 MISC. PUBLICATION 35, U. S. DEPT. 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 
eset will give you larger yields and help your crop to ripen 
aster, 
Fic. 10.—When fall came there was a good crop of cotton in the fields that had been 
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.) 
c 
