2 10 
time at the end of that month, then the earth is also heaped up 
again. 
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 th^ 
around and the weeds suppressed. This costs /3.50 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 
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 Hock:- 
mills. Before this however, it is cleaned by hand from rubbish 
and dirty cotton. , ,, , 
As a day’s work one man has to produce 150 lbs. 01 cotton seen. 
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: — t , '■ , , 
In territories that are not drained, and that is the rase ot most 
instances, the cotton is grown on ridges, from 5 to 8 c.m. high, in 
distances from 20-35 c.m. broad and 120 c.m. 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 5-0* 
I11 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 
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 ot 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 ot 
