September, 1908.J 



259 



Miscellaneous. 



Two methods of destroying the over- 

 wintered weevil while they are feeding 

 on the tender teiminal buds are advo- 

 cated : (1) They may be hand-picked 

 and burned, or (2) some may be destroyed 

 by the use of the harrow and brush- 



Fall and Winter Cultivation 

 op the Soil. 



After the destruction of the bolls in 

 the fall, breaking (ploughing) the field 1 

 or 2 inches deeper than usual assist in 

 the destruction of the weevils and in the 

 preparation of the field for successful 

 cropping the following season. In order 

 to air the soil and destroy grass, shallow 

 winter cultivation of the soil should be 

 practised, i.e., working the laud with a 

 toothed harrow or a disk ouce every 

 twenty or thirty days during the 

 winter, as the weather may permit. 

 The soil should be in excellent condition 

 at the time of planting. 



Early Planting and the use op 



Early-maturing Varieties. 

 The object of early planting is to 

 hasten the maturity of the crop. The 

 Bureau of Entomology has shown that 

 the weevils do not multiply until the 

 squares begin to form and do not gener- 

 ally become numerous enough to des- 

 troy the entire crop before the last of 

 July. In addition to this, early planting 

 has been found generally helpful against 

 cotton pests, such as the bollworm and 

 the leaf worm. Furthermore, the winter 

 rains usually leave the soil Avith plenty 

 of moisture, while in the spring there is 

 liable to be a drought which may retard 

 germination in late planting. 



Varieties of cotton differ in time of 

 maturity, and the same variety may 

 differ owing to soil, moisture, ferti- 

 lization, cultivation, etc The planting 

 of eaily-rnaturing varieties of cotton is 

 not only important as an aid in securing 

 a crop, but also as a means of destroy- 

 ing the weevil. The early-maturing 

 cotton can be gathered and the immature 

 bolls destroyed before it is time for the 

 weevils to go into winter quarters. If 

 all growers would plant early-maturing 

 cotton and follow the plan here outlined 

 it would result in gieatly lessening the 

 damage of the weevil. 



In advising the planting of early- 

 maturing cotton it is not the intention 

 to advocate the exclusive use of small-boll 

 cotton. These varieties may be better 

 adapted to the northern limits of the 

 cotton belt, but in nine-tenths of the 

 cotton-producing territory there are 

 large-boll varieties which can be just as 

 successfully grown under boll-weevil 

 conditions as the small-boll cottons. 



They must be varieties that are generally 

 vigorous and that put out short-jointed 

 fruit limbs close to the ground. 



Use op Fertlizers. 



The use of fertilizers, especially acid 

 phosphate and potash, to hasten matu- 

 rity and increase fruitage, as well as the 

 use of cotton-seed meal when necessary 

 to promote vigour and growth, is re- 

 commended. Soils and methods of appli- 

 tation are fully explained, and it has 

 been demonstrated that a small quantity 

 of fertilizer properly applied accom- 

 plishes marvellous results. 



Spacing between Plants and Rows. 



Planting in rows wider than usual and 

 allowing more space in the row on light 

 lands are advised under boll- weevil condi- 

 tions. Special attention must be direct- 

 ed to have the rows proper distance 

 apart and to thin the plants in the rows. 

 There must be width enough for the 

 sun's rays to reach the earth between 

 the rows and thus aid in destroying the 

 larvae of the weevil. 



Generally speaking, more space to the 

 plant makes a better stalk with more 

 limbs, more bloom, and a higher grade of 

 cotton. The spacing between the rows 

 must depend on the soil and the variety 

 of cotton. More space should be given to 

 fertilized than to unfertilized cotton. If, 

 however, extreme space is allowed be- 

 tween plants in the rows and intensive 

 cultivation is given there may be enough 

 stimulus imparted to the growth of the 

 plant to actually retard maturity unless 

 the growth is controlled by barring off, 

 as explained later ; hence, on rich lands 

 it is best to give plenty of space between 

 the rows and to crowd the plants a little 

 in the rows. 



Use op the Toothed Harrow. 



The use of the toothed harrow as soon 

 as the crop comes up is of sufficient im- 

 portance to warrant special mention. 

 After early planting the germination is 

 frequently slow and the earth may be- 

 come crusted. The harrow may be used 

 to break the crust before the plants are 

 up, and shoxild be used soon afterwards 

 to keep the soil loose so that the plants 

 will take on rapid srro vth at once. The 

 crop is surprisingly advanced by the 

 judicious use of the harrow. 



Intensive Cultivation. 

 Ploughing or cultivating deep the first 

 time and shallow at all subsequent times 

 is an important feature of good cotton 

 production. It destroys weeds, increases 

 the plant food, and conserves moisture, 

 consequently hastening maturity. Under 

 boll-weevil conditions the cotton crop 



