COTTON 
253 
work. If the land is thin, it is best to leave only one 
stalk to the hill, every 18 to 20 inches apart. This will 
give sufficient moisture and plant food to grow a good 
plant. 
Cultivation.—The kind of cultivation necessary for 
cotton will depend on the way it is planted. If it is 
planted in rows, it may be cultivated with walking or 
riding cultivators. Where the area is large, it is more 
profitable to use a two-row riding cultivator. While in 
Fig. 183.—Marketing cotton. 
many hilly sections the cultivation is done by means of 
a “Georgia stock” with “sweep” attachments. The pur¬ 
pose of cultivation is to keep down weeds and keep the 
soil finely pulverized so as to mulch the land to prevent 
the escape of soil water. The proper depth of cultivation 
is from 1% to 3 inches. The crop should be plowed every 
ten days. Good results are obtained when cotton is 
plowed as soon as possible after each rain. 
Manures and Fertilizers for Cotton.—The chief 
sources of manure and fertilizers for the cotton crop are 
barnyard manures, green crops, and commercial ferti- 
