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time at the end of that month, then the earth is also heaped up 

 agai n . 



This is done by going through the new beds, first with the 

 shovelling machine, and then the earth is heaped up with the 

 plough. By earthing up the cotton is pressed tighter into the 

 ground and the weeds suppressed. This costs fa, 50 per bouw. 



At the second time of cleaning a beginning is made with the 

 thinning and this is repeated each successive time that the ground 

 is weeded, so that in July only one plant remains in each spot. In 

 all there are four cleanings. 



Near the end of July nothing more is done to the plantation, with 

 the exception of ploughing between the cotton rows in August. 



The first flowers appear, towards the middle of June, when the 

 plants are about 40 c. m. high and in August the fruit open, the 

 plants having then attained a height of 1.50 m. 



The plucking begins in the last week of August and continues to J 

 the first week of September. The harvest is ended about the 

 middle of December. 



When the cotton has been plucked, weighed and cleaned, then 

 it is dried in the sun on platforms of about 8 m. square. 



If this precaution is not taken, it may happen, that the stored 

 cotton becomes heated. It is also said that by drying in the sun, 

 the fibres obtain a more silky appearance owing to the absorption 

 of oil from the cotton seed. 



After the cotton is dried it is stored or treated with the flock- 

 mills. Before this however, it is cleaned by hand from rubbish 

 and dirty cotton. 



t As a day's work one man has to produce 150 lbs. of cotton seed. 

 Now the cleaning is done more carefully and the above mentioned 

 task is given to two persons. One cleans the cotton before it goes 

 through the flock-mills and the other after it has left them. 



In the remainder of America the following general rules are 

 considered : — 



In territories that are not drained, and that is the case of fhost 

 instances, the cotton is grown on ridges, from 5 to 8 c. m. high, in 

 distances from 20-35 c - m - broad and 120 cm. long, this has already 

 been mentioned above. 



Besides the plough much use is made of shovels or spades. 

 The proper use of the latter especially contributes much to the 

 good results of the culture. 



The number of seeds put into each hole, (one foot apart) is 5-6, 

 In very dry climates the cotton is planted deeper than elsewhere. 

 Starting with 10 c. m. distances, this is thinned to the distances 

 above mentioned. At the time of growing care is taken to destroy 

 the weeds and that the top layer of the soil remains crumbly, to j 

 facilitate the air drying of the soil. When necessary the sides of 

 the beds are heaped up once or twice. 



The cotton plant seems to be well able to bear the cutting of its 

 roots so that there is no cause for anxiety when weeding, of injuring 

 the roots with the tools. 



The planting is done between the 1st of March and the 10th of 



